Methods and apparatus for stringed controllers and instruments

ABSTRACT

Stringed instruments, game controllers, and related structures and methods are described. A game controller having one or more strings is described for a computer gaming application. A plurality of frets can be disposed on a fingerboard and underlying the strings. The frets may include electrically conductive zones that can be electrically insulated from each other, and each zone corresponds to a different string. A polyphonic pickup having a plurality of wire-wound coils coupled to corresponding magnetic returns can be included, and can be adapted to detect striking of at least one of the strings by a user of the game controller. Output signals may be sent from the controller to the gaming application indicative of fingering of the game controller and the time at which the strings of the game controller are struck. Multi-mode apparatus are also described. A stringed apparatus may be used as both a game controller and an instrument.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/359,237, filed on Jan. 23, 2009, which claimed priority fromU.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/023,285, filed Jan. 24,2008. This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/285,097, filed Dec. 9, 2009, and entitled“Combined Monophonic and Polyphonic Pickup for Use with MusicalInstruments and Video Game Controllers;” and from U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application Ser. No. 61/307,320, filed Feb. 23, 2010, andentitled “Improved Video Game Controllers and Game Interfaces,” whichare all hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD

The technology described herein relates to stringed controllers andinstruments.

BACKGROUND ART

Some popular computer gaming applications, such as the Guitar Hero®games, employ a special controller that has some similarities to aninstrument (e.g., is generally guitar-shaped), but which differssignificantly from an actual instrument. The controller for use withGuitar Hero® has no strings and instead has colored fret buttons and astrum bar. The controller provides two types of information to thegaming software, referred to herein as selection information and timinginformation. The selection information is provided by depressing thefret buttons, and the timing information is provided by toggling thestrum bar. A series of icons, each corresponding to a color and positionof one of the fret buttons, is displayed on the game screen as music isplayed. The player's goal is to hold down the fret button correspondingto the icon shown and toggle the strum bar at the same time that a notepasses a marked area on the game screen.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, the present invention provides a game controller thatincludes a musical instrument having a fingerboard and a plurality ofstrings extending along the fingerboard. A plurality of frets can bedisposed on the fingerboard, and can be underlying the plurality ofstrings. At least one of the frets can include a plurality ofelectrically conductive zones that can be electrically insulated fromeach other. Each zone can correspond to a different string in theplurality of strings. At least one first sensor can be adapted to detectfingering of the fingerboard by a user of the game controller, at leastin part, by detecting contacts between the strings and the frets. Atleast one second sensor can include a polyphonic pickup having aplurality of wire-wound coils coupled to corresponding magnetic returns.Each coil and corresponding magnetic return can be associated with aparticular string in the plurality of strings. The second sensor can beadapted to detect striking of at least one of the plurality of stringsby the user of the game controller. At least one control module can becoupled to the at least one first sensor and the at least one secondsensor to provide at least one electrical signal indicating thefingering of the fingerboard by the user, and indicating the striking ofat least one of the plurality of strings by the user.

One or more of the following features may be included in variousembodiments. The plurality of strings and at least some of the pluralityof frets can be electrically conductive, and at least one first sensorcan be adapted to detect which of the electrically conductive stringshas contacted the electrically conductive fret. A monophonic pickup canbe coupled to the polyphonic pickup, and the monophonic pickup andpolyphonic pickup can be disposed in a housing configured as a singlecomponent on the game controller. The monophonic pickup can be a stackedhumbucker pickup adapted to detect movement of the plurality of strings.The polyphonic pickup can be a hexaphonic pickup adapted to detectmovement of each of the strings in the plurality of strings. Themagnetic return can be made of magnetizable material including any oneof iron, steel, other ferrous material, or any combination thereof. Eachof the coils can include a corresponding neodymium magnet and magneticcore. The game controller can be a dual mode device that may be capableof operating in a first mode as the game controller, and in a secondmode as a stringed musical instrument. The game controller can betunable to enable the plurality of strings to play the full range ofnotes available on a guitar. At least one user control can be capable ofoperating volume and tone when the game controller is in the secondmode, and capable of operating menu-navigation and other game featureswhen the game controller is in the first mode. A string dampener havinga plurality of separate engagement surfaces can be adapted to dampenvibration of at least one of the plurality of strings after being struckby the user to facilitate detection of distinct string strikes. Eachseparate engagement surface may correspond to a particular string orsubset of strings in the plurality of strings. The dampener may includeany one of a mechanical dampener or an electromechanical dampener. Atleast one electrical signal can provide control information forinteracting with a video game.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method that caninclude 1) generating control signals for a computer game based on userinteractions with a game controller that can include a musicalinstrument having a fingerboard, a plurality of strings extending alongthe fingerboard, a plurality of frets disposed on the fingerboard andunderlying the plurality of strings wherein at least one of the fretshaving a plurality of electrically conductive zones that can beelectrically insulated from each other and each zone corresponds to adifferent string in the plurality of strings, at least one first sensoradapted to detect fingering of the fingerboard by a user of the gamecontroller, and at least one second sensor comprising a polyphonicpickup having a plurality of wire-wound coils coupled to correspondingmagnetic returns wherein each coil and corresponding magnetic return isassociated with a particular string in the plurality of strings andadapted to detect striking of at least one of the plurality of stringsby the user of the game controller; and 2) evaluating at least first andsecond distinct pieces of information relating to the user interactions,the first piece of information being indicative of fingering of thefingerboard by the user, and the second piece of information beingindicative of the striking of at least one of the plurality of stringsby the user.

One or more of the following features may be included in variousembodiments. Dampening vibration of at least one of the plurality ofstrings after it is struck by the user to facilitate detection ofdistinct string strikes. Dampening an amplitude of the vibration of atleast one of the plurality of strings by at least 70% within 0.025seconds of the at least one of the plurality of strings being struck.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of adapting amusical instrument to enable the musical instrument to be used as a gamecontroller. The musical instrument can include a fingerboard andmultiple strings extending along the fingerboard. The method caninclude 1) affixing a plurality of frets on the fingerboard andunderlying the plurality of strings, wherein at least one of the fretshas a plurality of electrically conductive zones that can beelectrically insulated from each other and each zone corresponds to adifferent string in the plurality of strings; 2) positioning at leastone first sensor on the fingerboard to detect fingering of thefingerboard by a user of the game controller; 3) providing at least onesecond sensor comprising a polyphonic pickup having a plurality ofwire-wound coils coupled to corresponding magnetic returns to detectstriking of at least one of the plurality of strings by the user of thegame controller; and 4) providing at least one control module togenerate at least one electrical signal to a game. The at least oneelectrical signal can indicate the fingering of the fingerboard by theuser, and can indicate the striking of at least one of the strings bythe user.

One or more of the following features may be included in variousembodiments. Providing a string dampener having a plurality of separateengagement surfaces, wherein each engagement surface corresponds to aparticular string or subset of strings in the plurality of strings, andwherein the string dampener can be adapted to dampen vibration of atleast one of the plurality of strings after it is struck by the user tofacilitate detection of distinct string strikes. Providing at least onestring dampener includes providing a mechanical dampener or anelectromechanical dampener.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an apparatus that may operate as both a game controller andan instrument, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows one embodiment of a vibration dampening arrangement,according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of a vibration dampener.

FIGS. 4A-D show various aspects of fret detection arrangements accordingto embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows details related to use of a brace according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 6A-C show structural details of a non-adjustable bridge for theapparatus of FIG. 1, according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 shows a controller output module according to one embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIGS. 8A-B show color and number coding of the neck frets on theapparatus of FIG. 1, according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 shows the state arrangement of a strum detector module, accordingto one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 shows an example of a filtered signal envelope estimate overtime for use in a strum detector, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 11 shows an interactive visual display according to one embodimentof the present invention.

FIGS. 12A-D show an interactive visual display according to anotherembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 shows an interactive visual display according to yet anotherembodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 14A-D show an interactive visual display according to a furtherembodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 15A-C show an interactive visual display according to anotherembodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 16A-B show an interactive visual display according to a furtherembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 shows various logical steps in a game flow according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 18A-B illustrate various strumming and picking aspects ofembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 19 shows an interactive visual display according to anotherembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 illustrates an example of a configuration which may be used toprovide electromechanical damping of strings, according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 21 illustrates an example of a circuit which may be used to alterthe decay time of a signal representing a string vibration, tofacilitate detection of discrete strum events, according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 22 illustrates a stringed game controller coupled to a processorfor operating a gaming application, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 23 illustrates an embodiment of the invention directed to anadapter that may be used to employ a stringed instrument as a stringedgame controller.

FIG. 24A illustrates a fret assembly in accordance with one embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 24B illustrates another fret assembly in accordance with anotherembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 25A-B illustrate fret subassemblies for use in connection withvarious embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 26 illustrates electrically conductive elements that can beutilized in the manufacture of frets according to an embodiment.

FIG. 27 illustrates a fret subassembly for use in connection with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 28 illustrates an assembled fret manufactured in accordance withone embodiment.

FIG. 29 illustrates a close-up view of the fret shown in FIG. 28.

FIG. 30A-E illustrate various string dampener configurations for use inconnection with various embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 31A-D illustrate various subassemblies of a polyphonic pickupconfigured for use in connection with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 32 illustrates a combined monophonic and polyphonic pickupconfigured in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 33 illustrates a method of manufacturing a segmented fret inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Applicants have appreciated that conventional guitar-shaped gamecontrollers, such as those described above, differ from actual guitarsin many ways, including in their lack of strings. Thus, suchconventional game controllers do not provide the user with a realisticexperience of playing an instrument.

According to one aspect of the technology described herein, a stringedcontroller for games, such as video games, is provided. In some detailedembodiments described below, the stringed controller resembles a guitar,but the aspects of the present invention described herein are notlimited in this respect, and can be used with other fretted (e.g., abass guitar) or unfretted (e.g., a violin or cello) instruments.

The stringed controller can be used for any type of gaming application,as the aspects of the invention described herein are not limited in thisrespect. In some embodiments, the stringed controller can be used with aplay-along game, similar to Guitar Hero®, but provide a more realisticuser/player experience. In other embodiments, the stringed controllercan be used to control action in any type of game, and replace anyexisting controller, so that playing games can give the playerexperience with the instrument (e.g., in fingering the frets andstrumming the strings of a guitar). In yet further embodiments, thestringed controller can be used to control a game specifically designedto teach the player how to play the instrument.

In some embodiments, the controller may be configured to provide outputsignals to a game (i.e., to a gaming application executing on a computeror gaming console), allowing a user to interact with the game. Theoutput signals produced by the controller may represent any suitableinformation for interacting with the gaming application, such asindicating placement of a user's hands on the controller (e.g., fretplacement on a fretted controller) as well as the timing at which one ormore of the strings of the controller is played. The controller in someembodiments may further optionally include one or more components, suchas user inputs (e.g., knobs, buttons, dials, or any other inputs),making it compatible with any of a variety of gaming systems (e.g.,personal computers or a module for any gaming platform), as the variousaspects relating to a stringed controller are not limited in thisrespect.

According to some aspects of the technology described herein, a stringedgame controller may produce one or more output signals derived fromdifferent parts of the controller, or derived from different userinteractions with the controller. For example, vibration of the stringsof the stringed controller may be used to produce an output signalrepresenting timing information (e.g., the time at which each string isinitially played), or any other suitable timing information. A secondtype of information, such as information indicative of the positioningof a user's hand on the stringed controller (e.g., the fret position ona fretted controller), may be derived irrespective of whether the stringis vibrating. Other types of information may also be provided, as thevarious aspects described herein are not limited to stringed controllersproducing any particular types of output signals.

According to another aspect, a multi-mode apparatus is provided, whichmay function both as a stringed instrument (e.g., a guitar, a bassguitar, a violin, or any other stringed instrument) and as a gamecontroller for a gaming application, such as a computer gamingapplication. When acting as an instrument, the apparatus may by playedto produce musical notes, for example by plucking the strings anddepressing a fret of a fretted instrument. In such a mode, theinstrument may function in a conventional manner so that the outputsignal of the apparatus may be caused by the vibration of the string(s),which may be directly audible (for example, as with an acousticinstrument) or processed and amplified (e.g., as with an electricguitar), which output signal may therefore include tonal componentsreflecting movement of the strings and the length of the vibratingportion of the strings, i.e., pitch information. In this mode, theapparatus may be connected to a dedicated amplifier or to a computer orgaming system which may operate as an amplifier (e.g., a virtualamplifier), or may be directly played without connection to any externalcomponents, for example as in the case of an acoustic instrument.However, the various aspects described herein are not limited in thisrespect, as in the instrument mode the instrument may be used in anysuitable manner, including in any of the ways instruments areconventionally employed.

When the multi-mode apparatus is operated as a game controller, the gameapplication may derive any desired information from the user'sinteraction with the strings, but in some embodiments may not use anyinformation about pitch or tone from the strings. As discussed above, inone embodiment separate information can be provided indicative of thepositioning of the user's fingers on the fingerboard (e.g., fretposition on a fretted device, which may be indicative of string length)and timing information from striking, or playing, a string (e.g.,plucking, picking, or otherwise playing). To facilitate use of thestrings for determining timing but not pitch information, the stringsmay be damped, for example to reduce or prevent vibration. A pickup maybe used to detect movement of one or more strings of the apparatus, forexample when struck by the user, and may generate a corresponding timingindex component of a gaming input signal provided to the gamingsoftware.

When the multi-mode apparatus is operated as a game controller, in someembodiments information about a user's hand positioning on thecontroller may be provided to the game in a manner other than byassessing tonal components of vibrations of the strings, i.e., otherthan by assessing the pitch of any vibrating string. For example, theapparatus may be fretted (e.g., a guitar), and one or more fret sensorsmay be used to detect contact of the strings with a fret. The fretsensor(s) may generate one or more components of a gaming input signal.Alternatively, the positioning of a user's hand may be determined usinginput buttons positioned on the instrument (e.g., on the fingerboard ofthe guitar), a pressure responsive material, or in any other suitablemanner, as the aspects described herein are not limited in this respect.

As should be appreciated from the foregoing, according to onenon-limiting embodiment, when the multi-mode apparatus is operated as agame controller, outputs of the controller may be generated that do notrequire detection of any string vibration tonal components. According tosuch embodiments, this may reduce or eliminate any need for the stringedcontroller to be in tune to properly function as a game controller.Rather, the strings of the apparatus may be used to derive timinginformation only, and the position of a user's hand may be determined byfret sensors, buttons, or in any other suitable manner. In someembodiments, the tonal components of the instrument/controller may beignored entirely. However, all aspects of the invention are not limitedin this respect, as the tonal output of the instrument/controller mayoptionally be used in some embodiments to provide an additional, oralternative, input.

According to one non-limiting embodiment, the apparatus may include acontroller output module, which may process signals from the apparatusto determine one or more types of information from the user'sinteraction (e.g., timing information, hand positioning information, orany other type of information), and may then generate one or morecontroller output signals to be provided to the gaming application inany format recognized by the gaming application. Alternatively, rawsignals indicative of the user's actions (e.g., representing timing andpositioning information) may be provided to the gaming application,which may process the raw signals to determine desired types ofinformation, such as timing and/or positioning information, or any otherdesired types of information. Other manners of signal processing arealso possible, as the various aspects described herein relating to agame controller are not limited in this respect.

It should be appreciated that while some embodiments described hereinrelate to a multi-mode device, not all embodiments are limited in thisrespect. Rather, according to some embodiments, a stringed controllermay be a dedicated stringed controller, and may not be an actualinstrument.

Applicants have further appreciated that it may be desirable to providea game controller and/or instrument from materials (e.g., plastic orother materials) which can not withstand the loading force imposed bystrings (e.g., the devices may bend or break when subjected to theloading force of the strings, or may be unable to hold tune to asatisfactory degree). Thus, according to one aspect of the technologydescribed herein, a stringed instrument and/or instrument-shapedstringed controller may include a brace. The instrument and/orcontroller may be formed of one of more components, such as a body, aneck, a fingerboard, or any other suitable components, one or more ofwhich may be formed of material(s) unable to withstand the loadingforces imposed by strings. The instrument, or instrument-shapedcontroller, may be formed of multiple pieces fastened together, or of asingle piece of material. A brace may be provided to enable theinstrument and/or controller to withstand the loading force of thestrings, and may be made of any material suitable for bracing theinstrument or instrument-shaped controller against the loading force ofthe strings. The brace may be made of metal, wood, plastic, or any othersuitable bracing material, as the braces described herein are notlimited to being formed of any particular material. The brace mayprevent the stringed apparatus (e.g., instrument, or instrument-shapedcontroller) from breaking. In addition, in accordance with someembodiments discussed below, the brace may facilitate keeping theapparatus in tune with little or no adjustment.

The aspects mentioned above, as well as further aspects of thetechnology, are now described in further detail. It should beappreciated that the aspects of the technology described above and belowmay be used individually, all together, or in any combination of two ormore, as the technology described is not limited in this respect.

As mentioned, according to one aspect of the technology describedherein, a stringed game controller is provided. FIG. 1 shows anapparatus 100 according to one embodiment, which apparatus may be usedas a game controller for interfacing with a game, such as, but notlimited to, a video game. While the apparatus 100 resembles a guitar, itshould be appreciated that such a shape and structure is non-limiting,as stringed game controllers implementing one or more of the featuresdescribed herein may be shaped similarly to bass guitars, violins,cellos, or any other stringed instruments.

The apparatus 100 comprises one or more strings 120 extending from thehead 122 over the nut 123, along the neck 124 and fingerboard 125, overone or more pickups 140, to the bridge 126 on the guitar body 128. Inone embodiment, there are six strings 120, but not all embodiments arelimited in this respect, as any number of strings can be employed.According to some embodiments, the strings 120 produceelectromagnetically detectable signals, and therefore may be made of anelectrically conductive material, such as being steel guitar strings,nickel-wound strings, or may be formed of any other suitable stringmaterial, including materials not conventionally employed for guitarstrings. The strings 120 may be light gauge strings, heavy gaugestrings, or have any suitable gauge, as the stringed apparatus describedherein are not limited to use with any particular string gauge.Depending on the length, diameter and mass of a given string 120, whenit is struck (e.g., picked, plucked, strummed, or otherwise struck), thestring 120 may vibrate with a harmonic tonal component corresponding toa musical note. Pushing a string 120 down onto one of the fingerboardfrets 130 on the neck 124 changes its vibrational length, therebychanging the corresponding musical note associated with the string.

According to one embodiment, the apparatus 100 includes a guitar body128 with at least one guitar pickup 140. The guitar pickup 140 maydetect movement of one or more of the strings 120, and may generate anelectrical signal, such as a voltage, in response to detecting suchmovement. In one embodiment, the pickup 140 may be a magnet surroundedby wires that detects movement of the strings 120 and produces acorresponding voltage output signal, but the aspects of the inventiondescribed herein are not limited in this respect, as the pickup 140 maybe anything capable of detecting movement of the strings 120. Forexample, the guitar pickup 140 may be a double coil pickup assembly froma guitar pickup vendor having a plastic ring and shell cover, Humbuckerbobbin, ceramic magnet, and pole piece assembly, or any other suitablestructure. The guitar pickup 140 may be inserted from above and securedwith screws to the guitar body 128, or may be connected to the apparatus100 in any other suitable manner.

As described, in some embodiments the apparatus 100 may be a dedicatedstringed game controller, i.e., that is not used in any mode as aninstrument. According to other embodiments, the apparatus 100 may be amulti-mode apparatus operable both as a computer gaming input device(i.e., a game controller) and as an instrument (e.g., an electric guitarin the embodiment of FIG. 1). For use as an electric guitar, the guitarbody 128 may include a standard quarter-inch stereo audio jack 150 forcommunicating the output signal from the guitar pickup 140 to anexternal audio amplifier (e.g., via an audio cable), or to any othersuitable device. The audio amplifier may be a designated amplifier, suchas a conventional guitar amplifier, a computer, or a gaming systemoperable as a virtual amplifier, or may be any other suitable amplifier,as the type of amplifier is non-limiting. When the apparatus 100 isoperated as an instrument, the output signal from the guitar pickup 140may be a conventional electric guitar output signal which containsstring vibration tonal components representative of harmonic vibrationof the strings 120, and the output signal may be adjusted by a volumecontrol 152 and a tone control 154.

Whether the apparatus 100 is a dedicated game controller or a multi-modeapparatus capable of operating as a game controller, it may comprise oneor more components and/or signal processing circuitry facilitating itsoperation as a game controller. For example, according to oneembodiment, the apparatus 100 may provide one or more output signals (orone or more components of a single output signal) when operating as agame controller, which output signal(s) may provide one or more types ofinformation for interacting with a gaming application. The apparatus maytherefore include one or more components and/or signal processingcircuitry suitable to produce such output signals.

With regard to the non-limiting example of FIG. 1, one type of signalproduced by the apparatus 100 when operated as a game controller mayrepresent the positioning of a user's hand, finger, or fingers, on thefingerboard 125. For example, the apparatus 100 may be a frettedapparatus, as shown in FIG. 1, and one type of signal produced by theapparatus when used as a game controller may indicate a fret position ofa user's hand, although similar signals may be generated for non-frettedcontrollers. Such a signal indicating the position of a user's hand onthe game controller may be generated in any suitable manner, as thevarious aspects relating to stringed game controllers are not limited inthis respect. In addition, it should be appreciated that a signalindicative of a user's hand positioning on the game controller is merelyone non-limiting example of a type of signal which may be generated.

One manner in which a signal indicative of fret position may bedetermined is now described. However, it should be understood that othermanners of such determination are possible, and that the followingexample is merely provided for purposes of illustration. For example,according to one non-limiting embodiment, the controller includes one ormore fret sensors for detecting contact between the frets and one ormore of the strings 120 to generate signals indicative of fingerposition that may be provided as an output signal (or portion thereof)which may serve as an input signal to a gaming application. FIGS. 4A-4C,described below, provide one non-limiting example of how fret positionof the apparatus 100 may be detected. It should, however, be appreciatedthat any suitable technique for detecting fret position may be used, asthe technology described herein is not limited to use with anyparticular technique of fret detection. Moreover, fret positioningdetection is only one non-limiting example of an output signal which maybe produced by a stringed game controller. For example, some stringedgame controllers may not have frets (e.g., a game controller shaped as aviolin), and the position of a user's hand on the controller may bedetected using a pressure sensitive material, a resistive material on afingerboard of the stringed game controller, or using any other suitabletechnique.

With regard to FIG. 1, a second type of signal (or component of asignal) produced by the apparatus 100 and provided as a gaming input toa gaming application may be a signal conveying timing information. Forexample, when the apparatus 100 is operated as a game controller,striking one or more of the strings 120 (e.g., plucking, picking,strumming, or otherwise striking) may generate a signal representingtiming information. In some embodiments, the game controller maygenerate a separate output for each string. In other embodiments, onlyone output may be generated when any string is struck, however not allembodiments are limited in this respect.

Applicants have appreciated that determining the timing at which one ormore of the strings 120 is played may be facilitated by damping thestrings 120, to reduce or prevent extended vibration of the strings(irrespective of whether the damping alters the pitch or tone of thestring), thereby facilitating determination of when string movement iscaused by a new strike as opposed to extended vibration. Therefore,according to one non-limiting embodiment, the strings 120 may be dampedwhen the apparatus 100 is used as a game controller.

If the strings 120 are to be damped, any suitable manner of doing so maybe used, as the technology described herein is not limited to dampingthe strings 120 in any particular manner. For example, according to thenon-limiting embodiment of FIG. 1, the apparatus 100 includes amechanical vibration dampener 170 having an engagement surface fordamping the strings 120. For example, the engagement surface of thedampener 170 may partially contact the strings 120, encapsulate thestrings 120, or have any other suitable relationship to the strings 120for damping them. According to one embodiment for use with a controllerthat can also operate as an instrument, the vibration dampener 170 maybe retractable or removable in any suitable manner (e.g., may berecessed into the guitar body 128) when the apparatus 100 is being usedas an instrument, e.g., an electric guitar. When the apparatus 100 isoperated in a gaming mode, the vibration dampener 170 may be positioned(e.g., raised up from the guitar body 128) so that the engagementsurface contacts (e.g., encapsulates) the strings 120 to reduce orprevent their harmonic vibration. The output signals from the guitarpickup 140 may then lack string vibration tonal componentsrepresentative of harmonic vibration and instead may be used torepresent one or more timing index components of one or more inputsignals to a gaming application (i.e., the time at which the strings 120are moved). It should be appreciated that the positioning and type ofdampener 170 described is only one non-limiting example, and that otherstructures and techniques for damping the strings 120 may be used. Otherexamples of mechanical dampeners are described below in connection withFIGS. 2 and 3. In addition, in some embodiments, dampening may beperformed by signal processing, either alone or working together withsome type of mechanical and/or electromechanical dampener, as describedbelow.

It should thus be appreciated from the above discussion that, accordingto one embodiment, a game controller may produce one or more outputsignals representing timing information and positioning (e.g., fretpositioning) information from the user's interaction with the strings ofthe stringed game controller. In some embodiments, the strings are usedsolely for generating timing information, and no pitch information isdetected. Thus, according to this embodiment, processing of an outputsignal generated by striking one or more of the strings may not entailanalyzing frequency information from the string vibration (e.g., pitchinformation), but rather may simply analyze whether a particular stringis vibrating or not (i.e., whether a string has been struck). Thus,latencies associated with pitch analysis may be avoided in the signalprocessing stages. Also, according to this non-limiting embodiment,because the vibration of strings is not analyzed for pitch information,the strings of the stringed game controller need not be in tune to usethe game controller, which may facilitate use of the apparatus as a gamecontroller by users who are unable to tune the strings with sufficientprecision to generate the proper pitch. In this embodiment, the fret orfinger positioning information may be generated separately from anyvibration of the string(s), for example by detecting contact of a stringwith a fingerboard, with a fret, or in any other suitable manner.Alternatively, in some embodiments, the pitch of a string may bedetected and analyzed.

The apparatus 100 may further comprise a controller output module forprocessing received signals (e.g., one or more signals including thefinger position component from the fret sensors or otherwise, and one ormore timing index components from the guitar pickup 140, according toone non-limiting embodiment) independently of any string vibration tonalcomponent to generate one or more corresponding controller outputsignals to provide to the computer gaming application. The controlleroutput module may be within the guitar body 128, as in FIG. 1 (which iswhy the controller is not visible in FIG. 1), may be part of a moduledistinct from the apparatus 100, may be disposed partially within andpartially outside of the apparatus 100, or may be implemented in anyother suitable manner. The controller output module may have anysuitable structure for processing the gaming input signals, onenon-limiting example of which is shown and described below in connectionwith FIG. 7. The controller output signal in gaming mode may be outputthrough the audio jack 150, or there may be one or more special gamecontroller output ports such as a USB port 160, a wirelesscommunications link through an antenna (e.g., using a protocol such asBluetooth and a 2.4 GHz RF module or other wireless technology), or anyother suitable arrangement. When configured with a wirelesscommunications link, it may operate up to a 30 ft. range and still meeta 40 hour battery life specification, or may have any other suitableoperating range and battery life, as the aspects described herein asrelating to game controllers are not limited in this respect.

As mentioned, according to one aspect of the technology describedherein, the strings of a stringed game controller may be damped toreduce or eliminate their vibration after being struck (e.g., plucked,picked, strummed, or otherwise struck). The damping of the stringvibration signal can be accomplished by applying mechanical and/orelectro-mechanical damping directly to the strings, by signal processingof the electrical signal from the pickup, by some combination of thesetechniques, or in any other suitable manner. According to oneembodiment, the damping may be performed to facilitate use of thestrings to provide a timing signal.

When mechanical damping alone is used, it may be desirable that anyvibration of the strings be damped by a sufficient amount to facilitatedetection of distinct strikes on the strings generated by a user. A usertypically may play, or strike, the strings in the frequency range of 1-5Hertz (Hz) (e.g., 1-5 strums per second) when playing a song, and theaspects of the invention described herein can be used with applicationsin which the user may strike the strings at that pace, a slower pace, oreven faster. In some embodiments, the vibrations may be damped toexhibit a suitable amount of decay (also referred to as attenuation) tofacilitate detection of distinct string strikes in a time less than theexpected period between string strikes. For example, for some gamingapplications it may be expected that a user will strum the strings of astringed controller at a rate of approximately one strum per second(i.e., 1 Hz). Thus, according to some embodiments, the strings of astringed game controller may be damped to ensure that any vibration ofthe strings is sufficiently attenuated in less than approximately onesecond to distinguish between ongoing vibration of the string from theinitial strike and a subsequent string strike. According to someembodiments, a sufficient amount of attenuation may be on the order of50% or more attenuation of the initial string vibration, approximately60% attenuation, approximately 70% attenuation, approximately 80%attenuation, approximately 88% attenuation, approximately 90%attenuation, or approximately 95% attenuation. However, it should beappreciated that the various aspects relating to damping describedherein are not limited to providing any particular amount ofattenuation.

Furthermore, while a non-limiting example of an expected play rate isone strum/strike per second, it should be appreciated that other playrates may also be used, for example, as mentioned play rates of 1-5 Hzmay be expected, or any other suitable play rate. Thus, according tosome embodiments, a sufficient amount of damping (so as to achieve anyof the amounts of attenuation listed above, or any other suitableamount) may be applied to distinguish between distinct string strikes ina time of less than approximately one second to less than approximatelytwo tenths of a second (i.e., the time between strikes for play rates of1-5 Hz). Moreover, according to some embodiments, a sufficient amount ofdamping may be applied to attenuate the vibration of a string by asufficient amount (e.g., any of those amounts previously listed) in lessthan approximately half of the time period between expected stringstrikes (i.e., in less than approximately 0.1 seconds for a play rate of5 Hz), in less than approximately one third of the time period betweenexpected string strikes (i.e., in less than approximately 0.07 secondsfor a play rate of 5 Hz), in less than approximately one quarter of thetime between expected string strikes (i.e., in less than approximately0.05 seconds for a play rate of approximately 5 Hz), or in less than anyother suitable time. According to some embodiments, the strings of astringed controller are damped to reduce any initial vibrations thereinby approximately 90% or more (e.g., by approximately 98% in someembodiments) in approximately 25 milliseconds or less (e.g., one quarterof the time period between expected string strikes at a rate ofapproximately 10 Hz), however it should be appreciated that not allembodiments are limited in this respect.

FIG. 2 shows specific details of one specific embodiment of a mechanicalvibration dampener 200 which may be used to damp strings on a stringedgame controller, such as the apparatus 100. For purposes of explanation,the operation of the dampener 200 will be described in connection withthe apparatus 100 of FIG. 1. However, it should be appreciated that thedampener 200 (or one like it but modified, e.g., to handle a differentnumber of strings) may be applicable to other stringed game controllers.

The dampener 200 includes an engagement surface 201 that may encapsulatethe strings 120 to reduce or prevent harmonic vibration, for example toreduce or eliminate vibration from a strike in any of the time periodslisted above (e.g., in less than approximately 1 second, less thanapproximately 0.1 seconds, less than approximately 25 milliseconds, orwithin any other suitable time). In the example shown, the engagementsurface 201 has six string slots 202 which each receive one of thestrings 120 when the vibration dampener 200 is raised into operatingposition for gaming mode. The engagement surface 201 may be a foam piece(e.g., Poron®), or any other suitable material for providing a desiredamount of damping within a desired time. The length, L, of theengagement surface slot 202 may be long enough to ensure sufficientdampening of the strings 120. For example, the slot may be one inch ormore in length in the direction along the strings 120, or may have anysuitable length. The decay time constant of string vibration correspondsto the amount of time it takes for the string vibrations to dissipateand the vibration dampener 200 may reduce the decay time constantrelative to an undampened string to as close to zero as practical (givenmechanical and other constraints), to any of the other time periodslisted above, or to any other suitable time period. For example, a foampiece with a slot at least an inch long may dampen the decay timeconstant of string vibration to less than 25 milliseconds. However, inother embodiments, a dampener may be employed that dampens lessefficiently but is still effective to facilitate the detection ofdistinct string strikes.

In one embodiment, the engagement surface 201 may be easily replaceableand may be friction fit into an outer shell 204 (which may be formed ofplastic or some other materials). Thus, according to one embodiment auser may select one of various options of materials for the engagementsurface 201, where the different options have different characteristics(e.g., stiffness), and may switch between materials by removing one typeand friction fitting a replacement into the outer shell 204. However,other constructions are possible. For example, the engagement surfacemay be not be fit into any outer shell in some embodiments, but rathermay be formed and mounted in any suitable manner to perform its dampingfunction In some embodiments, the vibration dampener 200 may include adampening control mechanism, allowing it to be raised and lowered aroundthe strings 120. For example, the dampener 200 may be raised around thestrings 120 when the apparatus is used in game mode (i.e., as a gamecontroller), and may be lowered from the strings 120 if, and when, theapparatus 100 is used in a guitar mode (i.e., as an instrument). Thedampener 200 may be raised and lowered by squeezing two control ends 203with thumb and forefinger, and may include a locking mechanism to secureit in correct position in accordance with one embodiment, but otherarrangements are possible.

Referring to FIG. 30 a, in various embodiments, string dampeners, suchas dampeners 170 and 200, may include a single engagement surface 3001to dampen all of the strings 120 when apparatus 100 is used as a gamecontroller. Depending on the material that the engagement surface 3001is made of, such a configuration may be adequate to reduce harmonicvibration of the strings 120 to a level sufficient for game play.However, in some instances, vibrations generated from one or more stringstrikes may propagate through the engagement surface 3001 and ontoadjacent strings 120. Such occurrences may result in the pickup 140misidentifying the actual string 120 that was struck by a user. In turn,the misinterpreted output signals from the pickup 140 may be processedby a game application resulting in a less than optimal game playingexperience for the user.

Referring to FIGS. 30 b-30 e, in another embodiment, the singleengagement surface 3001 can be segmented into multiple engagementsurfaces 3001 a-3001 n, with each segment corresponding to a particularstring 120 or subset of strings. Utilizing multiple and distinctengagement surfaces 3001 a-3001 n can reduce propagation of stringstrike vibrations. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 30 b, a dampener(e.g., 170, 200) can include a first engagement surface 3001 a fordamping a subset of the strings 120 (e.g., three of the six strings),and a second engagement surface 3001 b for damping another subset of thestrings 120. The first engagement surface 3001 a can be physicallyseparated from the second engagement surface 3001 b by a setoff distance(i.e., an air gap) 3003. This configuration can prevent string strikevibrations originating on engagement surface 3001 a from propagating toany of the strings 120 being damped by engagement surface 3001 b andvice versa. Unwanted string strike vibrations may still propagatethrough the segmented engagement surface 3001 a, and onto one or moreadjacent strings 120 within the same subset being damped by engagementsurface 3001 a. These vibrations can be reduced further by utilizingmore engagement surfaces to dampen even smaller subsets of strings. Forexample, as illustrated in FIG. 30 c, three separate engagement surfaces3001 a-3001 c can be utilized to dampen subsets of two strings each.Similarly, as shown in FIG. 30 d, in some embodiments, string strikevibrations from adjacent strings can be minimized by providing eachstring 120 with a separate corresponding engagement surface 3001 a-3001f. As illustrated in FIG. 30 e, a dampener 3002 can be adapted toinclude multiple engagement surfaces 3001 a-3001 n that can be separateand distinct from each other. In game mode, the dampener 3002 can beraised so that the separate engagement surfaces 3001 a-3001 n cansimultaneously dampen all corresponding strings on apparatus 100.

FIG. 3 shows another non-limiting embodiment of a vibration dampener300. The dampener 300 includes a neck strap arrangement, in that itincludes a flexible strap 320 made of a material, such as cotton,rubber, plastic, or any other suitable material, which stretches in alongitudinal direction, and which may wrap around the guitar neck 124 tomechanically couple a vibration dampening material, described below,around the neck. Flexible strap 320 may include a fastening material 330(such as Velcro® or other fastening material) on the ends to facilitatefastening, or may include any other suitable fastening mechanism.Engagement surface 310, which may be coupled to the flexible strap 320in any suitable removable or fixed manner (e.g., by gluing, sewing, orin any other suitable manner) may engage the strings 120 from above, andmay be made of any suitable material (e.g., felt, rubber, or any othersuitable material) for providing a desired amount of damping within adesired time (e.g., 70%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95% or more attenuation inapproximately 25 milliseconds or less or some other desired timeframe,depending on the rate at which users are expected to strike thestrings). Additionally, in some embodiments, the engagement surface 310may be formed of an electrically non-conductive material.

The vibration dampener 300 may be applied in any manner suitable fordamping the strings 120 by the desired amount and within the desiredtime, but in some embodiments is not attached so tightly as to cause thestrings 120 to contact the frets 130. Alternatively, a neck attachingvibration dampener 300 may be adapted to fit between the guitar strings120 and the fingerboard 125 to engage the guitar strings 120 from below.For example, according to one embodiment, the dampener may include apiece of foam which is positioned between the fingerboard and thestrings of the game controller, although other configurations are alsopossible. In some embodiments, the stiffness of the engagement surface310 may be selected, for example from a plurality of options, to reducethe decay time constant of the string vibrations of the guitar strings120. For example, the engagement surface 310 may be formed of a materialremovable from the flexible strap 320, so that a user may select one ofvarious options of materials to use for the engagement surface 310,where the various options have differing degrees of stiffness. Thevibration dampener 300 may be removed from the guitar neck 124 ofapparatus 100 if the apparatus 100 is to be used as an instrument, e.g.as a guitar.

While FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate two examples of dampeners which may beused with a stringed game controller to dampen the strings, it should beappreciated that other types and forms of dampeners may be used. Forexample, damping of the strings 120 may be performed electromechanicallyand/or though signal processing, or through any combination of thedamping techniques described herein, as the various aspects relating todamping of strings of a game controller are not limited to use with anyparticular type of damping. Also, it should be appreciated thatdampening may not be employed in embodiments in which the expected playrate (i.e., the expected frequency of string strikes) is sufficientlylow that the vibrations of the strings would naturally attenuate by asufficient amount to allow detection of distinct strikes, or inembodiments in which the processing of signals from the strings issufficiently fast and/or accurate to distinguish between distinct stringstrikes without dampening.

FIG. 20 illustrates an example of a circuit which may applyelectromechanical damping to one or more of the strings of a stringedgame controller. The string 120 may be positioned proximate a pickuptransducer 2002 and a force transducer 2004, each of which may beconnected to ground (GND). The pickup transducer 2002 and forcetransducer 2004 may be coupled to each other via a negative feedbackamplifier 2006, having a suitable gain of −A. Vibration of the string120 may induce a voltage in the pickup transducer 2002, which is thenamplified by the negative feedback amplifier 2006, and then applied tothe force transducer 2004. The force transducer 2004 may then apply arestorative electromagnetic force to the string 120, damping thevibration of the string 120.

FIG. 21 illustrates an alternative damping technique, in which vibrationof the string is not itself damped, but a signal produced in a pickupis. As shown, an envelope 2102 of a signal generated by a vibratingstring (e.g., a signal output by pickup 140 of FIG. 1) is input to botha voltage controlled amplifier 2104 and an envelope follower 2106. Theoutput 2108 of the envelope follower 2106 therefore follows the envelope2102 of the input signal and functions as a gain control voltage forcontrolling the gain of the voltage controlled amplifier 2104. Theoutput envelope 2110 of the voltage controlled amplifier may exhibit ashorter decay period than that of the envelope 2102, even though thevibration of the string itself may not be damped. The output envelope2110 may therefore be used to detect strikes occurring closer togetherin time than could the envelope 2102. It should be appreciated thatother methods of processing output signals from a pickup may also beused to shorten the decay time of the signal, and that the aspectsdescribed herein relating to damping string vibrations are not limitedto using any particular method of damping.

As explained above, according to one embodiment, one type of outputsignal generated by a stringed game controller, which may be provided asan input to a gaming application, is a signal indicative of one or morefret positions of the user's fingers on the game controller. The fretposition information may be detected in any suitable way. For example,referring to FIGS. 4A-C, a signal may be developed by making the frets130 and the strings 120 of electrically conductive material, andconnecting such electrically conductive frets 130 to a fret wiringribbon 400 that runs under (or along, or within) the fingerboard 125.Such frets 130 may be made of any suitable electrically conductivematerial, such as steel (for example, 18% Nickel-Silver fret wire) orany other material with suitable electrical and mechanical properties.According to some embodiments, the frets 130 are made of a material thatresists coloration and rust, although the various aspects relating togame controllers described herein are not limited in this respect.

The frets 130 may be securely attached to the fingerboard 125 by anysuitable means such as individually by ultrasonic welding, and may betrimmed for size using snips or in any other manner. The fret wiringribbon 400 may be, for example, a 20 gauge 6-position ribbon cableterminated in a PCB connector 402 that connects to the controller outputmodule of a stringed controller or may be any other suitable connector.As shown in FIG. 4C, from the fret wiring ribbon 400 an individual wiremay be crimped to a vertical fret connector 401 (e.g., 0.1 pitch) foreach of the first several frets, for example for the first five frets,or for any other number of frets. The fret wiring ribbon 400 may runwithin the guitar neck 124 alongside any internal structural components,such as a brace discussed below, or may be positioned in any othersuitable manner, such as along the outside of the neck 124, or in anyother suitable manner.

While one example of a gaming input signal representation of fingerposition along the neck of the controller is generated by detecting thecontact of a string 120 to a fret 130, it should be appreciated thatother techniques may be employed for detecting finger position along theneck of the controller. For example, part or all of the fingerboard 125may be formed of a pressure sensitive material, such that an electricalsignal may be generated when a particular area of the fingerboard ispressed by a string or a user's hand. The pressure sensitive materialmay comprise one or more sections, for example corresponding to frets orto each of the strings. Alternatively, a resistive material may beformed to define a single area or many areas (for example to correspondto frets) on the fingerboard 125, from which an electrical signal isgenerated when a string or finger is contacted to the fingerboard 125.These alternate techniques can be used for fretted or non-frettedcontrollers. Thus, it should be appreciated that the various aspectsrelating to stringed game controllers are not limited to generating anindication of a user's hand position in any particular manner, or forthat matter to even generating an indication of a user's hand position.

As discussed above, stringed game controllers, such as the apparatus 100in FIG. 1, may be used to provide inputs to a gaming application. Theapparatus may therefore comprise one or more features making itcompatible with the gaming application. For example, the apparatus 100may include control features specifically for interaction with acomputer (such as a personal computer or a Mac® from Apple®, Inc.), agaming console (e.g., an Xbox 360® from Microsoft® Corporation,Playstation® from Sony®, PS3® from Sony®, a Wii® from Nintendo® or anyother gaming console), or any other type of device with which theapparatus may want to communicate, either for gaming purposes, soundprocessing purposes, amplification purposes, learning purposes, or anyother purpose.

In the non-limiting example of FIG. 1, the apparatus 100 comprises ananalog joystick 185 that may be used in the normal manner of a computergame joystick (and which in some embodiments may alternatively be adigital joystick), and a sync button 186 for wireless synchronizing ofthe apparatus 100 to a game console (for example for multi-player games,or for any other purpose). According to one embodiment for use withmulti-player applications, player indicator LEDs within the sync button186 light up to indicate which player number the controller has beenassigned (Player 1, Player 2, Player 3, or Player 4). While a joystickand a sync button are two non-limiting examples of the types of featureswhich may be added to, or adapted on, a device to facilitatecompatibility of the device with a gaming system, it should beappreciated that other types of features, such as dials, knobs, anddirection buttons (e.g., 4 direction keypads and 8 direction keypads)may also be used, or any other suitable features.

The volume control 152 and tone control 154 may both be multi-functionpotentiometers with a center detent position or may be implemented inother ways. Their functionality may be specific to whether the apparatus100 is in game mode (i.e., being used as a game controller) or guitarmode (i.e., being used as an instrument), which modes may in someembodiments be selected by a user from menu options of a gamingapplication visual display, or in any other suitable manner. In gamemode, the volume control 152 may act as a select/back button that theplayer presses, for example, to highlight different menu options or tomove backwards in a game menu system. Twisting the volume control 152 ingame mode may have no effect. In guitar mode, the volume control 152 maybe turned to act as a conventional volume control for the output signalfrom the guitar pickup 140, and pressing it may have no effect. The tonecontrol 154 similarly controls the tone of the pickup output signal inguitar mode. In game mode, the tone control 154 may act as a pressablestart switch to activate a game function, and turning the control has noeffect.

The ways in which the instrument controls (e.g., the volume and toneknobs) can be adapted to control a game discussed above are just anexample, as the instrument controls can be adapted to control a game inany suitable manner. In addition, while some examples of features makingapparatus 100 compatible with gaming applications have been described,it should be appreciated that such examples are non-limiting. Stringedgame controllers according to aspects of the technology described hereinmay have any number and type of features (e.g., buttons, knobs, dials,ports, joysticks or any other features) making them compatible with anyparticular gaming application. The number, type, and functionality ofsuch features may depend on the gaming application itself, e.g., thetypes of input signals the gaming application receives from a user tooperate. Thus, the various aspects of stringed game controllersdescribed herein are not limited to including any particular number,type, or function of features to be compatible with a gamingapplication.

As mentioned above, conventional instruments, such as guitars, aretypically assembled from various wooden or composite material componentswhich are connected together. Each component piece is individuallystrong and rigid. Various features of such a conventional guitar areadjustable so that the surfaces and angles of the neck, fretboard,frets, and pickup can be adjusted to be in correct relationship to thestrings over time (e.g., as the materials expand or contract due totemperature and/or humidity, or other reasons). Typically, this is basedon an adjustable bridge arrangement at the base of the guitar body wherethe strings terminate. By raising, lowering and tilting the differentsections of the adjustable bridge, the strings can be correctlypositioned over the other components.

As discussed above, Applicants have appreciated that it may be desirableto create instrument-shaped controllers out of material which cannotwithstand the loading forces imposed by strings without bending to anunsatisfactory degree or breaking. For embodiments wherein thecontroller is a dual use device capable of use as an instrument, suchdevices, if they did not break entirely, may require frequent tuning oradjustment, and be unable to hold tune with sufficient precision toenable it to be used as an instrument. Applicants have appreciated thata brace (alternatively referred to herein as a stringer or support) mayalso or alternatively be used to support an instrument and/or aninstrument-shaped game controller made of material(s) (e.g., lightweightplastics or other materials) that would not otherwise be sufficientlystrong to withstand the loading force of strings. The brace structuremay be in the form of a stiff metal bar structural member, or any othersuitable bracing structure, that provides structural support for thedevice, for example as the backbone provides structural support in ahuman.

Applicants have appreciated that the amount of adjustment of a stringedinstrument needed to maintain the instrument in tune and/or to maintainthe strings at a proper positioning relative to the other components ofthe instrument may be reduced or eliminated by use of a brace. Thus,according to some embodiments of the technology described herein, astringed instrument (which may optionally serve as a game controller)may be constructed as a substantially adjustment-free device which maybe provided to the customer with the strings already correctlypositioned and ready to use without the need for adjustments, such asbridge adjustments.

As should be appreciated from the foregoing, according to one aspect ofthe technology described herein, a stringed device comprises a braceconnected between the two ends at which the strings of the device arefixed, to support the structure in withstanding the force of the stringsand/or to minimize or eliminate alterations in the relationship betweenthe ends of the strings. For example, in a guitar, the strings aretypically fixed between the head or nut and the bridge. Therefore,according to one embodiment, a brace may be provided to support theguitar from the head or nut to the bridge, for example to maintain thestrings in a proper position. In some embodiments, one end of the braceis connected to the nut, or the head of a guitar-shaped device, and asecond end of the brace is connected to the bridge. The brace may beformed of any suitable bracing material for withstanding a loading forceapplied on the stringed device by strings, which, for example, may beapproximately 150 pounds to 200 pounds for light gauge guitar strings,but which may vary depending on the string characteristics. The bracemay be formed of metal, wood, plastic, or any other sufficiently strongmaterial, and may take any suitable shape that, together with thematerial, provides the desired level of support. In this respect, thedesired level of support may vary depending on the application. Forexample, when the apparatus is to be used solely as a game controllerand is not intended to be used as an instrument, the level of supportmay be one to simply prevent the device from deforming or breaking, askeeping the device properly tuned may not be an issue when it is notintended to be played as an instrument. In addition, for embodimentswherein the apparatus is intended to be usable as an instrument, whiledesirable to provide a level of support to make the instrumentadjustment-free, it is not necessary in all embodiments.

FIG. 5 shows one specific example of a brace 500 in the specific form ofa solid bent steel bar which runs from the head end of a stringeddevice, such as guitar-shaped apparatus 100 of FIG. 1, down through theguitar body, and which provides structural support for the device. Thebrace 500 may provide the structural strength to withstand the loadingforce of the guitar strings, which may be around 250 pounds in someembodiments. While steel is used as the material for the brace 500 inone embodiment due to its combination of strength, availability, and lowcost, it should be appreciated that any suitable bracing material may beused. In the embodiment shown, the neck head 501 is a separate steelstamping that is welded onto the neck end of the brace 500, and the neck502 is a plastic part that is placed onto the brace 500 which allows thefinger board 503 to snap in. However, the aspect of the inventionrelating to a brace is not limited to such a configuration, and itshould be appreciated that the braces described herein for supportingstringed devices are not limited to any particular shapes, materials,methods of fabrication, or methods of attachment.

As discussed above, in some embodiments, with the use of a brace, suchas brace 500 above, an adjustment-free stringed device, such as a guitaror guitar-shaped game controller, may be provided. For purposes ofillustration, such a device is described in relation to a guitar, suchas apparatus 100 in FIG. 1, though it should be appreciated that theconcept of a substantially adjustment-free stringed device may apply toother types of stringed instruments, and/or instrument-shapedcontrollers. According to one embodiment, the device may include anon-adjustable bridge. The non-adjustable bridge may be implemented inany suitable manner, an example of which is the non-adjustable bridge600 shown in FIGS. 6A-6C. The non-adjustable bridge may facilitatemaintaining a non-adjustable correct relationship between thefingerboard and the strings. For example, the non-adjustable bridge 600may terminate the body end of the strings 120 after they have passedover the guitar pickup 140. In this non-limiting embodiment, the bridge600, which may be made of steel or any other suitable material, securesthe ends of the strings 120 in anchor holes 601. In this embodiment, thebridge 600 includes mounting holes 603 for connecting the bridge 600 tothe guitar body 128. The non-adjustable string slots 602 elevate thestrings 120 to a desired or optimum height above the guitar pickup 140and frets 130 Because of the unvarying rigid structure imparted to theinstrument and/or controller (e.g., the apparatus 100) in thisnon-limiting embodiment by the brace 500, little or no user adjustmentsmay be needed to the bridge 600, or any other components, to achievesatisfactory string placement. Thus, the device may be immediately readyfor use when purchased and not require tuning by the user.

While some embodiments of the technology discussed herein related to anadjustment-free device can be used in connection with a dual modeinstrument and game controller, it should be appreciated that theseaspects of the technology described herein can be used with instrumentsthat do not have any of the techniques described herein that enabletheir use as a game controller, and can be used with a dedicatedinstrument and/or with a dedicated game controller.

As mentioned above, a stringed game controller in accordance with someembodiments may include a controller output module for processingsignals based on user interactions (e.g., signals generated when strings120 contact the frets, signals from the pickup 140 based on stringstrikes, etc.) and providing such signals to a gaming application. FIG.7 is a circuit diagram of one non-limiting example of a controlleroutput module 710, which may be implemented, for example, by a digitalprocessor running firmware, and/or any other suitable combination ofhardware, firmware, and software, as the embodiments described hereinrelating to game controllers are not limited to use with any particulartype of controller output module. According to some embodiments, thecontroller output module 710 may include any suitable processing device,such as a microcontroller and/or programmable logic (e.g., a fieldprogrammable gate array (FPGA)), or any other suitable processingdevice. As mentioned previously, the output module may be within thestringed controller (e.g., within the guitar body 128 of apparatus 100),or in any other suitable location.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, each of input pins 702 a-702 f of thecontroller output module 710 is electrically connected to the respectivefrets 130 of the apparatus 100, and generates an input signal indicatingthat a fret is contacted by a string 120. The electrical connection maybe direct as shown, or it may be via intermediary electronic devices,such as resistors, capacitors, transistors, or the like, or vianon-wired media. The strings 120 are electrically connected to theground pin 704 of the controller output module 710. When a string 120contacts a guitar fret 130, a circuit to ground is closed and a smallcurrent (e.g., 5 mA or any other suitable current) runs to ground 704through the string 120. The corresponding input pin 702 a-702 fconnected to the fret 130 contacting the string 120 is thereforeconnected to ground, and the voltage on that input pin may thereforedrop. The drop in voltage on the input pin may be detected by thecontroller output module 710, which may therefore generate a signaldirectly or indirectly resulting in a gaming input signal, whichinformation may then be relayed to an external processor and/or externalgaming application. As discussed above, the gaming input signal may berelayed through the USB port 160 (which in the non-limiting example ofFIG. 7 is illustrated as having four signal lines, corresponding to apower supply line (VDD), a ground line (GND), a serial input line (SI),and a serial output line (SO)) or in any other suitable way. It shouldbe appreciated that the form of USB port 160 shown is not limiting, andthat signals from the controller output module 710 may also oralternatively be provided to an external device, such as a computer orgaming console, in ways other than using a USB port (e.g., using a PS/2connector or in any other suitable manner). While FIG. 7 illustrates onecircuit configuration by which connection of a string 120 to a fret 130may be detected, it should be appreciated that other configurations arepossible, and that the various features described herein relating tostringed game controllers are not limited in this respect. Also, in someembodiments, multiple signals can be generated for each fret (e.g. withone signal per string contacting a fret or one signal representingcontact by any contribution of two or more strings).

Embodiments of the stringed game controller (e.g., apparatus 100 inFIG. 1) may incorporate a suitable scheme for providing indicia to theuser for use in developing the component of the gaming input signalindicative of a user's hand position or fret position. For example, avisual clue may be provided (such as a color coding scheme, a numbercoding scheme, a symbolic coding scheme, an icon coding scheme, etc.), atactile scheme may be employed, any combination thereof, or any othersuitable type of scheme may be employed. The elements of the scheme(e.g. the numbers in a number coding scheme) may be positioned on, orincorporated with, any suitable part of the apparatus 100, such as onthe frets 130, the fingerboard 125, the neck 124, or any other suitablepart of the apparatus. For example, FIGS. 8A-B show that there may becolor coding and/or numbering along the neck 124 and/or on the face ofthe fingerboard 125. In some embodiments, together with such a codingscheme, a user interface for the gaming application (e.g., a visualdisplay screen) may use corresponding indicia (e.g., colors/numbers thatdirectly match the indicia on the apparatus or are correlated in somemanner) to communicate the inputs the user should be performing (e.g.,strum timing and direction, string fingering, etc.).

The gaming input signal(s) from the apparatus 100, (e.g., from the frets130, string strikes, etc.) may be updated to reflect user interaction inany suitable manner. For example, in those embodiments in which one ofthe gaming input signals (or one of the components of a gaming inputsignal) reflects whether a string is contacting a fret, differentmonitoring schemes may be employed. For example, in one embodiment, thestrings 120 are all connected to ground simultaneously and each fret 130is connected to a corresponding input pin of the controller outputmodule (e.g., input pins 702 a-702 f of the controller output module710), so that whenever a string contacts a fret, a signal is generatedon the corresponding input pin of the output module. In an alternativeembodiment, one or more of the strings 120 are alternately grounded(i.e., alternately connected to ground 704) so that a signal isgenerated on the corresponding input pin of controller output module 710only if a string is contacting a fret at the same time that the stringis electrically grounded, effectively meaning the strings areindividually monitored at different times. In this latter monitoringscenario, which string 120 is connected to ground may be alternatedrapidly, or at any suitable rate, either sequentially or in any suitableorder to poll the strings individually for signals thereon. It shouldalso be appreciated that the two monitoring schemes described above formonitoring signals generated when a string contacts a fret arenon-limiting, and that other monitoring schemes may be employed.

In another embodiment, one or more of the frets 130 may be sub-dividedinto a number of (e.g. six) spaced electrically isolated segments eachcorresponding to one of the strings 120. In such a configuration, eachsegment of the frets 130 may be configured to allow separate detectionof when it is contacted by a string (as opposed to the fret generating asingle signal when contacted by any string), for example by modifyingthe electrical connection scheme of FIGS. 4A-4C to add connections foreach of the six segments of the frets of interest (e.g. by addingadditional wiring ribbons), or in any other suitable manner. It shouldbe appreciated that in this embodiment contact of specific individualstrings with each fret 130 may be determined, which may be desirable insome applications where it is desired to increase the number of possibleinputs from the user and/or to challenge the user to interact with thestringed controller in a manner more realistic to playing thecorresponding instrument by detecting precisely which string contacts afret. However, as discussed above, not all embodiments are limited inthis respect and others need not differentiate between which stringscontact a fret or are otherwise fingered by the user.

Referring to FIGS. 24A and 24B, in various embodiments, at least onefret may be configured as a segmented fret 2400 that can be utilizedwith a stringed game controller, or with a stringed musical instrument.The segmented fret 2400 can include a body portion 2401 made ofnon-conductive material, and having a first end, a second end, and alength defined between the first and second ends. The segmented fret2400 can be implemented in curved fret boards, by adapting the bodyportion 2401 to include a corresponding radial curvature along thelength of the body portion. Alternatively, the segmented fret 2400 canbe implemented in flat fret boards, by adapting the body portion 2401 tobe substantially horizontal along its length. The length of thesegmented fret 2400 can be determined based on a taper or configurationof a corresponding fret board.

Multiple electrically conductive elements 2406 can be disposed along thelength of at least part of the body portion 2401. The conductiveelements 2406 can be made of metal including nickel, silver, steel,titanium, a metal alloy, or any such combination. Each conductiveelement 2406 can be electrically insulated from the other conductiveelements by the body portion 2401, which can be made of a synthetic ornatural non-conductive material, such as plastic, glass, wood, or anysuch combination. With reference to FIGS. 25A-B, each conductive element2406 may include at least one aperture 2502 through which the conductiveelement 2406 can be affixed to the body portion 2401.

Referring also to FIGS. 28-29, in an embodiment, each conductive element2406 can include an exposed surface 2402 on the top of the body portion2401 that can correspond to a particular string 120 of a game controlleror stringed musical instrument. The exposed surfaces 2402 can be shaped,for instance, as a parallelogram, and can be disposed adjacent to eachother between insulated separations 2403 along the length of the bodyportion 2401. This configuration can permit at least one string 120 toslide smoothly from one exposed surface 2402 to the next whilemaintaining constant contact with one or more of the exposed surfaces2402. The exposed surfaces 2402 can be configured in various geometricshapes to achieve this functionality; however diagonal shaped edges2701, 2702 may be most practical.

For example, when a guitarist performs string bending, a metal string120 can be pressed down onto the exposed surface 2402 of a firstconductive element 2406, and forced across the insulated separation 2403and onto the exposed surface 2402 of the adjacent conductive element2406 without losing string to metal contact. If the diagonal-shapededges 2701, 2702 were horizontal instead of slanted, string to metalcontact would be lost when the string 120 made contact with theinsulated separation 2403.

Each of the conductive elements 2406 may also extend below the bodyportion 2401, and can be adapted to electrically connect the fret 2400to an underlying game controller or stringed musical instrument. In someembodiments, the conductive elements 2406 can be configured to includeextended length tangs 2404 that can pass through a correspondingfingerboard 125 and into, for instance, an underlying printed circuitboard (PCB) 403 configured as a scanning matrix (see FIG. 4D). Asillustrated in FIGS. 4A-C, other underlying electrical connections canbe utilized to electrically couple the frets to a game controller orstringed musical instrument. Each tang 2404 may also include at leastone aperture 2405 to facilitate attachment of the tang 2404, forinstance by soldering, to the underlying PCB board 403 or otherelectrical connection.

Referring to FIG. 33, a manufacturing method 3300 can be utilized tofabricate the segmented fret 2400 and can include: providing a blankformed of electrically conductive material (3302), processing the blankto provide a plurality of electrically conductive elements (3303),affixing a body portion made of a non-conductive material to theplurality of electrically conductive elements, so that each element canbe insulated from the other conductive elements by the body portion(3304), and removing material from the processed blank and affixed bodyportion to form a perimeter of the fret in a desired shape (3305).

Specifically, and with reference to FIGS. 25A-B, the electricallyconductive elements 2406 can be stamped from metal blanks or sheets madeof nickel, silver, steel, titanium, metal alloy, or any combination ofthese metals. Each stamped blank 2501 can include multiple conductiveelements 2406. The stamped blank 2501 may be adapted to include ahorizontal top surface 2503, or a curved/arching top surface 2504 tocorrespond to the shape of a particular fret board. Each blank 2501 canalso be stamped to include one or more apertures 2502 corresponding toeach conductive element 2406. The apertures 2502 can be utilized tosecure each conductive element 2406 to the body portion 2401. Inalternative embodiments, the conductive elements 2406 can bemanufactured by heating and casting the metal blank in molds, or bymachining the metal blanks or other appropriate material.

Referring to FIGS. 26 and 27, the stamped blank 2501 can be processedfurther to separate the conductive elements 2406 from each other. Forexample, processing can include cutting away at least one portion of thestamped blank 2501, for instance at separations 2403, to separate theelectrically conductive elements 2406 from each other. The process ofcutting away can also provide each conductive element 2406 with adiagonal shape. As shown in FIG. 27, in some embodiments, a sprue 2601may be included as part of the stamped blank 2501, which serves to keepall of the separated conductive elements 2406 aligned.

Thereafter, the conductive elements 2406 can be placed in a mold andover-molded with a non-conductive material to produce the body portion2401 of the segmented fret 2400. For example, when plastic is utilizedas the non-conductive material, the plastic can first be heated until inliquid form, and can then be used to over-mold the conductive elements2406. The liquid plastic can fill-in the separations 2403 toelectrically insulate the conductive elements 2406 from each other andto form the body portion 2401. The plastic also fills in apertures 2502to secure the elements 2406 to the body portion 2401. Upon hardening,the segmented fret 2400 can be abrasively surfaced to smooth out andremove and rough edges. If a sprue 2601 is utilized to align theconductive elements 2406, it can be removed at this point. The fret canthen be affixed to a stringed game controller or stringed musicalinstrument.

As mentioned above, in some embodiments, a stringed game controller mayinclude interfaces or controls in addition to the strings forinterfacing with a gaming application. As discussed above, examples ofsuch interfaces or controls may include an analog joystick 185 and syncbutton 186 shown in FIG. 1, or any other suitable features (e.g.,directional keypads, knobs, dials, or any other features). In someembodiments, the signals produced by the additional interfaces orcontrols may be processed by the same output control module thatprocesses signals from the strings, but the embodiments of the inventiondescribed herein are not limited in this respect. The signals from anyadditional controls can be detected and processed in any suitablemanner, as the aspects of the invention described herein are not limitedin this respect.

As one example, as shown in FIG. 7, additional computer gamingapplication controls, for example in the form of a button (e.g. syncbutton 186) and a joystick (e.g., joystick 185), may be connected to thecontroller output module (e.g., controller output module 710). The syncbutton 186 is represented by a switch, and may be connected betweenground and an input pin 706 b of the controller output module so thatwhen activated the controller output module 710 detects a drop involtage at input pin 706 b and relays information indicating that thecontrol has been activated to an external processing device or externalgaming application in any suitable manner (e.g. through the USB port160). It should be appreciated that the three additional input pins 706a, 706 c and 706 d are shown as being connected to switches 708 a, 708b, and 708 c, which switches may correspond to additional controls onthe game controller (e.g., apparatus 100) not shown in FIG. 1, but whichmay be included in some embodiments. The joystick 185 has been describedas an analog joystick, and therefore may be implemented using twopotentiometer tracks 712 a and 712 b, which may be connected to ADCinput channels 714 a and 714 b of the controller output module 710,respectively. However, it should be appreciated that the joystick 185may be implemented in any suitable manner, and may alternatively be adigital joystick suitably implemented. It should also be appreciatedthat other configurations for the computer gaming application controlsare also possible, as any number (including zero) of additionalinterfaces or controls may be provided on a stringed controlleraccording to some embodiments.

As previously explained, according to one embodiment, a stringed gamecontroller (e.g., apparatus 100 in FIG. 1) may generate an outputsignal, or a component of an output signal (it should be appreciatedthat for purposes of this application separate components of a singlesignal may be considered to be separate signals, and vice versa),indicative of the timing at which strings are struck, which may beprovided as a gaming input signal to a gaming application. This timinginformation can be generated based on user interaction with the stringedcontroller in any suitable manner. For example, according to oneembodiment for use with the output module of FIG. 7 and the guitarshaped controller 100 of FIG. 1, to develop this timing index componentof the gaming input signal, the controller output module 710 of FIG. 7may include an internal analog to digital converter (ADC) module havingan input pin 720 that is connected to sample the voltage across theguitar pickup 140. The ADC module may operate at a sampling rate ofabout 5 to 6 KHz, or at any other suitable sampling rate. The guitarpickup 140 may be a transducer that converts movement and vibrations inthe strings 120 into a voltage signal across its terminals. For example,the pickup 140 may include one or more permanent magnets wrapped in oneor more wire coils which possess an associated magnetic field. When thestrings 120 move relative to the magnets of the pickup 140, they maychange the magnetic field, which induces electric currents in the coiland a corresponding voltage across the terminals of the pickup 140,which may be sampled by the ADC module. The output signal of the ADCmodule may then be processed in any suitable manner, one example ofwhich is described below in connection with a strum detector, todetermine whether a string has been struck and thereby derive a signalindicative of the timing of string strikes.

As mentioned, some embodiments of a stringed game controller may includea dampener to dampen vibrations of the strings 120. When engaged, thevibration dampener may remove some or all of the frequency tonalcomponents of the string vibrations and may greatly reduce the timeconstant of decay for those vibrations, thereby making it easier todetect string strikes. It should be appreciated that the timing indexcomponent of the gaming input signal may be developed in other manners(including from string controllers other than the guitar-shapedcontroller 100 of FIG. 1 and using a different output module from thatshown in FIG. 7), and that the example described above is non-limiting.

In the non-limiting example of FIG. 7, the guitar pickup 140 is alsoconnected to circuitry to enable the apparatus 100 to operate in a modewhere it can be played as an instrument. This may be achieved in anysuitable manner and the aspect of the invention that enables thestringed controller to also operate as an instrument is not limited inthis respect. In one non-limiting example, the guitar pickup isconnected in parallel with a tone control circuit 770 and a volumecontrol circuit 780 when the output jack 150, which may be a standard ¼inch phone jack or any other suitable connection, is connected to anexternal guitar amplifier. The volume control circuit 780 may be anadjustable voltage divider implemented with a potentiometer that may bemanually adjusted by turning the volume control 152. Tone controlcircuit 770 may include a capacitor in series with a potentiometer withone terminal shorted to the middle terminal, allowing it to function asan adjustable resistor. The tone control circuit 770 may be in parallelwith the volume control circuit 780 and may provide an alternate path toground with an impedance that decreases with increasing frequency due tothe capacitor, thereby operating as a low-pass filter by attenuatinghigh frequency voltage signals from the guitar pickup 140 relative tolow frequency signals. The cutoff frequency of this low-pass filter maybe adjusted manually by turning the potentiometer, via tone control 154,to change the resistance in series with the capacitor, or may beadjusted in any other suitable manner. As mentioned above, the aspectsof the invention are not limited to use with any particular type ofvolume control or tone control circuit, or even to use with a devicethat includes volume or tone controls.

It should be appreciated that input pin 720 presents a high inputimpedance, so that current flowing on the pin is small relative tocurrent that flows through the tone control circuit 770 and volumecontrol circuit 780 when the output jack 150 is connected. When theoutput jack 150 is disconnected, the tone control circuit 770 and volumecontrol circuit 780 are open circuits, in which case the only electricalloading on the guitar pickup 140 is the input impedance of the ADCmodule.

As discussed above, according to some embodiments, user strikes of thestrings 120 are detected via any suitable combination of hardware,software and/or firmware (e.g., via the controller output module 710).For example, according to one embodiment, the controller output module710 includes an ADC module which receives an analog signal from pickup140 and converts it to a digital signal. The controller output module710 may then filter a resulting digital signal from the ADC module todetect user strikes of the controller strings (e.g., strings 120 inFIG. 1) as discrete events independently of string vibration tonalcomponents. The digital signals from the ADC module may be low passfiltered to obtain an estimate of the envelope of the signal from thepickup 140. According to another embodiment, the output of the ADCmodule may be rectified by a full-wave rectifier and then filtered by apeak detection filter to create the envelope of the signal from thepickup 140. This envelope estimate may then be compared to differentthresholds based on the current state of a strum detector moduleimplemented in the controller output module 710, with differentthresholds being used to determine when a strum has occurred. Avibration dampener, examples of which were previously described, mayfacilitate detection of such string movements as discrete timing indexevents, since reducing the decay time constant for string vibrations mayfacilitate resolving individual string strikes. The specific processingdiscussed above to detect string strikes is provided only as onenon-limiting example, as other manners of identifying discrete stringstrikes and timing index events are also possible, and the embodimentsof the invention described herein are not limited to using anyparticular technique.

Furthermore, it should be appreciated that various pickup scenarios maybe employed. For example, a single pickup (e.g., pickup 140) may be usedto detect string vibration from any of the strings of a stringedcontroller or instrument (e.g., strings 120 of apparatus 100). In such ascenario, the pickup may have a single output signal, such as shown inFIG. 7, and a single ADC channel may be used. The sampling rate of theADC channel may be chosen to be higher than the highest expected stringvibration frequency, or any other suitable value.

However, according to another embodiment, a pickup may be used to detectvibrations of individual strings, as opposed to detecting the vibrationof any of the strings of the device. For example, referring to theapparatus 100 of FIG. 1, a 6-way pickup (referred to as a “hex” pickup)may be employed, such that detection of vibrations may be individuallydetected from any of the six strings 120 shown. In such a scenario, thecontroller output module (e.g., controller output module 710) mayinclude an ADC channel for each of the pickup channels (i.e., six ADCchannels in the example in which a 6-way pickup is used). In thoseembodiments in which multiple ADC channels are used, the multiplechannels may be realized by multiple dedicated ADC hardware channels, bya single ADC with a multiplexer having an input for each output of thepickup (i.e., a multiplexer with six inputs in the example in which thepickup is a 6-way pickup), or in any other suitable manner, as thevarious aspects are not limited in this respect. Other types of pickupsare also possible, and the various aspects relating to detectingvibrations of the strings of a stringed device are not limited to usewith any particular pickup configuration.

Referring to FIGS. 31 a-31 d, in an embodiment, the pickup 140 can beconfigured as a polyphonic pickup (e.g., hex-pickup) 3100 that includesa separate transducer 3105 for each corresponding string 120 on theapparatus 100. For example, hex-pickup 3100 can include six individualtransducers 3105, each of which can generate an electrical signal, suchas a voltage, in response to detecting movement of a correspondingstring 120. Each individual transducer 3105 can include a magnetic core3101 disposed through a wire-wound bobbin coil 3102, a magnet 3103, anda magnetic return 3104.

The core 3101 can be any piece of magnetizable material, such as, a softiron rod, steel, bundle of wires, or other ferrous material. The core3101 can intensify and provide a path for a magnetic field produced by acurrent running through the wire-windings of coil 3102. The magnet 3103can be a neodymium magnet or other strong magnet. The magnetic return3104 can be made of any magnetizable material, such as, iron, steel, orother ferrous material.

The hex-pickup 3100 can be mounted on apparatus 100 so that eachindividual string 120 can be disposed horizontally above and across thetop of a core 3101 and return 3104 of a corresponding transducer 3105. Atypical setoff distance 3106 between the disposed string 120 and theunderlying core 3101 and return 3104 can be less than or equal to about2 mm.

As illustrated in FIG. 31 d, the core 3101, magnet 3103, and magneticreturn 3104 form a U-shaped structure that together with the string 120loosely form a closed magnetic path (i.e., magnetic circuit); thereluctance of which is dominated by the setoff 3106 (i.e., air gap)between the string 120 and the core 3101, and the string 120 and thereturn 3104. The magnetic return 3104 can be utilized to reduce thereluctance in the magnetic circuit to achieve two objectives: 1) toincrease the magnetic field strength and thereby increase the outputvoltage of the transducer 3105; and 2) to constrain any fringe fluxcomponent of the individual magnetic flux-paths to reduce undesirablecrosstalk to adjacent coils 3102 in the pickup 3100.

Specifically, reducing the reluctance by reducing the setoff 3106 (i.e.,total air gap) in the magnetic circuit has the effect of increasing themagnetic flux coupling to both the string 120 and to the windings of thecorresponding coil 3102. This increases the signal induced in the coil3102 by a factor of about three times or more compared to a pickuphaving no magnetic return 3104. The reduced reluctance can also reducethe amount of stray flux that may couple to adjacent coils 3102 inpickup 3100, which reduces crosstalk between adjacent transducers 3105.

The output voltage of each individual transducer 3105 is proportional tothe flux density in its magnetic circuit, and the number of turns in itscoil 3102. Vibration of the string 120 modulates the flux density in themagnetic circuit by modulating the reluctance of the circuit. In otherwords, vibrations of the string 120 cause variations in a magnetic fieldthat produce corresponding variations in the output voltage. The outputvoltage equation is E=NAdB/dt where N is the number of coil turns, A isthe mean cross sectional area of the magnetic core 3101, and B is theresulting flux density.

Several advantages can be obtained by utilizing a polyphonic pickup 3100having magnetic returns 3104 coupled to individual coils 3102 asdescribed above. Specifically, the disclosed configuration can beutilized with stringed musical instruments and with stringed gamecontrollers. The disclosed configuration provides a wide range of outputvoltage levels that can be utilized as input parameters during game playto enhance a user's game playing experience. For example, the range ofoutput voltage levels can be used to determine how hard a user isstriking the strings 120. Other advantages include realizing space andcost savings by avoiding the need for a dual-coil configuration that istypically utilized in polyphonic pickups. Overall performance of thedisclosed pickup 3100 can equal or surpass that of costlier dual-coilpolyphonic pickups.

Referring to FIG. 32, in an embodiment, a single combined-pickupassembly 3200 can be configured to provide both, a monophonic pickup3201 and the polyphonic pickup 3100 in the same housing 3202. Thisconfiguration can be utilized for applications where both types ofpickups are required in a stringed musical instrument or gamecontroller.

In an embodiment, the monophonic pickup 3201 can include two rectangularaspect coils in a “stacked humbucker” configuration to provide a singleoutput for all of the strings 120. The coils can be stacked verticallyone upon the other, and connected in series anti-phase. The first coilclosest to the strings 120 can provide an instrument signal of interest,along with an unwanted electromagnetic interference component that maybe induced by environmental factors, such as transformers, fluorescentlights etc. The second coil placed beneath the first coil (i.e., stringpickup coil) provides little string signal component, but is insteaddesigned to generate the same electromagnetic interference component asthat which is induced into the first coil by external interferingelectromagnetic fields. By connecting the coils in series anti-phase,the interference component can be effectively cancelled, leaving onlythe signal component of interest at the pickup terminals.

In various embodiments, the combined pickup assembly 3200 can beutilized as a component of a game controller. The combined pickup cangenerate and transmit at least one signal corresponding to theparticular vibrating string to a processor associated with theinteractive video game. The processor may process and manipulate thesignal prior to providing the signal as input to the video game. Inother embodiments, the combined pickup 3200 may provide the generatedsignal directly to a game console as input. The combined pickup 3200 maybe coupled to additional transducers and components of a game controllerso that a user interacting with the game controller can provide avariety of input data to the video game in real-time.

In an embodiment, the combined pickup assembly 3200 can be adapted tofit into the same space as a typical single pickup, which can result insubstantial space and cost savings. This space savings can be realizedby stacking the coils of the monophonic pickup 3201 on top of each otheralong one side of the housing 3202, and disposing hex-pickup 3100 alongthe other side of housing 3202. Since hex-pickup 3100 includes magneticreturn 3104 rather than a bulky dual-coil configuration, less space isrequired for housing the hex-pickup 3100.

The processing of signals from the pickup of a stringed game controlleror instrument to detect discrete strikes of the strings may beaccomplished in any suitable mariner. According to some embodiments, astrum module may be employed to analyze the envelope of the outputsignal from the pickup, the envelope being created by filtering theoutput signal of the pickup, or in any other suitable manner. The strummodule may include two or more states which may be used to identify whena strum is initiated, and when the vibrations from the strum aresufficiently attenuated to conclude that subsequent vibrations of thestrings are due to a subsequent strum. It should be appreciated thatwhile the term “strum” is used in this context, the applicability of themethodologies described is not limited to scenarios in which multiplestrings of the instrument are played in a single upward or downwardstroke, but rather may apply equally well to detecting strikes ofindividual strings. Thus, the terms “strum” and “strike” may be usedinterchangeably in this context.

FIG. 9 illustrates a non-limiting example of the different states of astrum detector module (e.g., implemented in the controller output module710) according to one embodiment of the invention. In the embodiment ofFIG. 9, a strum detector module has three states, including a strum highstate, a strum low state, and a no strum state. In the no strum state920, the strum detector module outputs a logic low signal (e.g., a logic“0”), and repeatedly compares the current estimate of the signalenvelope of interest to a strum start threshold (SST). As describedabove, the signal of interest may be the signal from pickup 140, and theestimate of the signal envelope may be generated by low pass filteringthe digital version of the signal from pickup 140, which digital versionmay be provided by the ADC module of the controller output module 710.However, other methods of developing the envelope are possible, and insome embodiments no envelope may be generated, as any suitable signalrepresenting the output of the pickup 140 may be used. If the envelope(abbreviated as “env” in FIG. 9) is greater than the SST, the strumdetector transitions to the strum high state 930, and outputs a logichigh signal (e.g., a logic “1”). Otherwise, the strum detector remainsin the no strum state 920. In the strum high state 930, the strumdetector module repeatedly compares the estimate of the signal envelopeto a strum end threshold (SET). If the envelope is greater than the SET,the strum detector module remains in the strum high state, and continuesto output the logic high signal. Otherwise, the strum detector moduletransitions to a strum low state 940 and starts a counter (abbreviatedas “ctr” in FIG. 9) to measure time elapsed in the strum low state 940.The strum module continues to output the logic high signal while in thestrum low state.

While in the strum low state 940, the strum detector module repeatedlycompares the estimate of the signal envelope to the SET. If the envelopeis greater than the SET, the strum detector module transitions to thestrum high state 930, and continues to output the logic high signal.Otherwise, the strum detector module compares the value stored in thecounter to the strum hold time (SHT). If the counter value is greaterthan the SHT, the strum detector module transitions to the no strumstate 920, and outputs a logic low signal. Otherwise, the strum detectormodule remains in the strum low state 940.

Information about the current state of the strum detector module may betransmitted to an external device or application via the communicationsport 160 at various times, or via any other suitable technique. Forexample, strum detector state information may be sent in response to astate transition. Alternatively or additionally strum detector stateinformation may be sent periodically to an external device orapplication. Also, it should be appreciated that other manners of strumdetection are possible, and that FIG. 9 merely provides one non-limitingexample. For example, the number of strum states, and their significance(e.g., the significance of a transition between states) may be varied,as the embodiments described herein relating to detection of distinctstrum/strike events is not limited to using any particular detectionalgorithm.

FIG. 10 shows an example of the application of the strum detector ofFIG. 9 to a filtered signal envelope estimate 1002, for example as mightbe obtained by low pass filtering the output signal of the ADC module ofcontroller output module 710. The output of the strum module isrepresented by logic output signal 1004. As shown, the strum module maybegin in its no strum state, prior to time t_(o). In this state, thelogic output signal 1004 of the strum module is low, and the strummodule may compare the value of the envelope estimate to the SST. Thestrum is first detected at time t_(o) when the envelope estimate 1002first exceeds the SST, in response to which the strum module transitionsto the strum high state, and its logic output signal 1004 goes high. Inthe strum high state, the strum module compares the value of theenvelope estimate 1002 to the SET.

At time t₁, the envelope estimate 1002 is less than the SET, and thestrum module transitions to its strum low state, during which the logicoutput signal 1004 remains high. The counter is begun, and the end ofthe strum is detected at time t₂ when the envelope estimate 1002 nextremains below the SET for a duration longer than the SHT. Thus, at timet₂ the strum module transitions to its no strum state and its logicoutput signal 1004 goes low.

As mentioned above, it should be appreciated that various algorithms maybe used to detect the beginning and end of a strum/strike, and that theexamples of FIGS. 9-10 are not limiting. Other algorithms may beemployed.

According to one embodiment, the strum detection module may determinethe timing index component of the gaming input signal as described aboveindependently of the operation of any sensors (e.g., finger position orfret sensors) that determine one or more other components (e.g., fretposition components) of the gaming input signal. Alternatively, thedetermination of both components of the gaming input signals may berelated. For example, a fret sensor circuit may be configured to onlysend an update of the fret sensor state to an external processing deviceor application when a strum event is detected by the strum detector.This provides output signals that more realistically reflect the way acorresponding instrument operates, but not all embodiments are limitedin this respect. In another example, the strum detector may beconfigured to adjust the SST, SET, or SHT in response to a detectedchange in the fret sensor state.

According to some embodiments, software running on an externalprocessing device (e.g., a gaming console, a computer, etc.) maygenerate visual and/or audio signals based at least in part upon theuser's interaction with the stringed controller (e.g., based at leastpartially on the strikes of the strings and the fingering of thestrings). This system may be used for any number of purposes includingfor entertainment such as for computer gaming, for education such as tofacilitate training of the user in the use of the stringed instrument(e.g., in the use of a guitar in the example of FIG. 1) or in any otherway, as aspects of the invention are not limited in any respect by themanner in which a software program (e.g., a game) responds to input froma stringed controller. Examples of software applications for use with astringed controller are described below, but it should be appreciatedthat the various aspects described herein are not limited to use withany particular software applications.

As has been mentioned, one aspect of the technology described hereinrelates to the use of stringed game controllers, for example in theshape of a guitar, bass guitar, violin, or other stringed instrument.Such game controllers may be configured to be coupled to an externaldevice including a processor (e.g., a personal computer, a gamingconsole, or any other device including a processor) operating a gamingapplication or other software application that responds to inputs fromthe stringed controller. For example, referring to the non-limitingembodiment of FIG. 22, an external device 2202, which may be a computer,a gaming console, or any other type of device including one or moreprocessors, runs a computer gaming application or other softwareapplication that responds to the input signals generated by the stringedgame controller (e.g., the apparatus 100 of FIG. 1) in response to useractions. The external device 2202 may be coupled to the apparatus 100 bya communication link 2204 that may include a wired connector through acommunication port, such as USB port 160 in FIG. 1, a wireless link orin any other suitable manner. The computer gaming (or other software)application may interact with the user via a visual display (e.g., on ascreen 2206) and/or audio output through, for example, gaming system orcomputer speakers 2208, a television, or in any other suitable manner.

According to some embodiments, the gaming application may be configuredto produce Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) sounds (forexample, via speakers 2208) corresponding to a plurality of instruments.In some embodiments, the user may be able to select the types of soundsproduced from a MIDI instrument selector (e.g., guitar, tuba, trumpet,or any other instruments). Moreover, different MIDI instruments may beassigned (by a user or otherwise) to different frets of a fretted gamecontroller, such that touching a string to a particular fret may resultin the gaming application producing a sound corresponding to theinstrument assigned to that fret. Similarly, sound effects may beassigned to frets (by user selection or otherwise) in some embodiments,such as reverb, delay, vibrato, pitch bending, or any other soundeffect. Similarly, the gaming application may allow the user to assignparticular chords to the frets, so that contacting a string to aparticular fret may result in the gaming application sounding the chordassigned to that fret. It should thus be appreciated that according tovarious embodiments various effects (e.g., instrument type, note, soundeffect, etc.) may be selected by a user (or otherwise assigned), andthat the various aspects described herein are not limited in thisrespect.

Various examples of interfaces that a game or other software applicationmay employ to interact with a user of a stringed controller will now bedescribed. It should be appreciated that these examples arenon-limiting, as the various aspects described herein relating tostringed game controllers are not limited to use with games or othersoftware applications that use any particular type of user interfaces.For example, it should be appreciated that the stringed game controllersaccording to some aspects described herein may be compatible with anyexisting gaming applications, such as the Guitar Hero® games and others.

FIG. 11 shows an embodiment of an interactive visual display 1100 thatprovides user input directions to tell the user how and when to producea gaming input signal. The interactive visual display 1100, which may beused in connection with a stringed game controller such as apparatus100, communicates indications related to strum timing, fret fingering,and strum direction (e.g., up or down). A strum indicator 1101 (shown asan arrow in FIG. 11 but other visual cues can be used) indicates to theuser when to strike the strings of the game controller with either anupward or downward stroke (e.g., by using a guitar pick or the user'sfingers). When the user successfully strums at the correct time whilepressing the correct fret (indicated by fret indicator 1104), a visualcue is provided to indicate this success to the user. This can be donein any suitable way. In one non-limiting example, the strum indicator1101 changes to a “hit” color (e.g., changes from black to blue) toindicate correct performance. When the user strums at an incorrect time,strums while not pressing the correct fret, or fails to strum at all atthe correct time, the strum indicator 1101 changes to a “miss” color(e.g., changes from black to red) to indicate a failed performance. Whenthe strum indicator 1101 is black it indicates a strum that has not beenplayed yet.

The interactive visual display 1100 also includes a tempo indicator 1102which moves horizontally from left to right giving a visual indicationof the tempo. The placement of the tempo indicator 1102 directly over astrum indicator 1101 indicates the user is to strum while depressing thecorrect fret. The tempo indicator 1102 may take any suitable form, suchas a bouncing ball, a moving bar, or any other suitable form. Below thestrum indicators 1101 is a rhythm count 1103 in the specific form of anumber to help the user keep the proper rhythm count. It should beappreciated that the rhythm count 1103 may take any suitable form.

A fret indicator 1104 may be used to indicate the correct fingerplacement (e.g., the correct fret number to depress). For example a “1”may indicate to the user to press on the first fret of the gamecontroller (e.g., a guitar-shaped game controller), a “2” the secondfret, and so on. The fret indicator 1104 on the interactive visualdisplay 1100 may be have a visual cue (e.g., color and/or number coded)that matches corresponding visual indicators 800 on the neck 124 of theapparatus 100, as shown for example in FIG. 8A, or may be coded in anysuitable manner.

The interactive visual display 1100, which again is one non-limitingexample of a suitable interactive display, also includes a scoreindicator 1105 that provides the user with feedback about how well theuser did in correctly performing the visual cues illustrated on thedisplay. Such feedback can be provided in any suitable way. For example,a user may get a point for each strum correctly executed, lose one ormore points for incorrect or missed strums, receive bonus points forlong, consecutive strings of successful strums without mistakes, etc.Other feedback mechanisms are also possible (e.g., separately notingcorrect and incorrect strums) and the aspects of the invention describedherein are not limited in this respect.

It should be appreciated that interactive visual display 1100 is merelyone non-limiting example of an interactive visual display, and that manyvariations and modifications of the interactive visual display 1100 arepossible. For example, according to some specific embodiments, the gameor software application may require (or have a selectable mode ofoperation that requires) only correctly timed strumming, regardless ofwhether a correct fret is depressed by the user. In such a case, thefret indicator 1104 may not appear on the interactive visual display1100, and/or correct fingering may not be tracked and the user may onlybe required to strum the correct rhythm with open (non-fretted) or anyfretted strings. In some such embodiments, a chord-progression may bepre-programmed to automatically change the chords at the correct timewith no extra input needed by the user so a user can play along with asong simply by properly striking the strings. A similar approach mayalso be used for single-note melodies (solos, leads). Alternatively,some embodiments may require only proper fingering, without stringstriking. In such a case, the strum indicators 1101 might not appear,might appear as simple lines without a directional up or down arrowhead,or might optionally appear with a direction indicator. To produce sound,the user would only need to finger the frets or strings with the correcttiming. It should be appreciated that other ways of interacting with theuser are also possible.

FIGS. 12A-D show an example of another interactive display interface1200, which communicates strum timing. In this embodiment, a graphicalrepresentation of the strum area 1201 of the apparatus 100 is depicted.In the specific example shown, the strum area 1201 includes the bridge,pickups, bottom of the neck and guitar strings, however it should beappreciated that any suitable area may be displayed. Such an interactivedisplay interface 1200 may be displayed all the time, or only when theconcept of strumming is pertinent to game play. Therefore, fretfingering is not accounted for in this particular interactive displayinterface 1200. For example, such an interactive display interface 1200may be used for unfretted open strumming of the strings. The interactivedisplay interface 1200 may indicate that a user is supposed to strumwhen a falling pick icon 1202 passes over the strum area 1201. It shouldbe appreciated that FIGS. 12A-D are merely examples, and that other waysof indicating strum timing are possible.

FIG. 13 shows another non-limiting example of an interactive displayinterface 1300 similar to the one shown in FIG. 12, but whichcommunicates both strum timing and fret fingering information. In thisnon-limiting example, the pick icons 1302 may be coded to indicatefingering information, for example by adding color and/or number codingto the pick icons 1302, or by using any other suitable indicator offingering information. A falling pick icon 1302 passing over the strumarea 1301 may indicate that the user is to strum while simultaneouslypressing the correct fret number.

FIGS. 14A-D show another embodiment of an interactive display interface1400 that communicates strum timing and fingering information. In thisembodiment, a representation of the headstock and first several frets onthe neck of the apparatus 100 are depicted on the display interface1400. There are five fret tracks 1401 that pick icons 1402 slide on,with each fret track 1401 corresponding to a target fret 1403. The frettracks 1401 and/or the target frets 1403 may be coded using color and/ornumber coding, as shown, or using any other suitable type of coding(e.g., symbol coding, or any other suitable type of coding). The pickicons 1402 travel along the fret tracks 1401 towards the target frets1403. When a pick icon 1402 intersects with a target fret 1403, the useris supposed to strum while simultaneously pressing the correctcorresponding fret on the neck of the guitar-type controller 100.

FIGS. 15A-C show another non-limiting example of an interactive displayinterface 1500, which includes a time target area 1501 and a pick icon1502. The user is supposed to strum the strings of the game controllerwhen a sliding pick icon 1502 passes over the time target area 1501. Inthis interactive display interface 1500, the direction of the slidingpick icons 1502 may be left to right, right to left, top to bottom,bottom to top, or any other suitable direction. Such an interactivedisplay interface 1500 might be used all the time or only when theconcept of strumming is pertinent to game play, and fingering is notaccounted for in this particular interactive display interface 1500. Forexample, such an interactive display interface 1500 may be used forunfretted open strumming of the strings of the game controller.

FIGS. 16A-B show another non-limiting example of an interactive displayinterface 1600 similar to the one shown in FIG. 15, but whichcommunicates both strum timing and fingering information by adding colorand/or number coding to the pick icons 1602 to communicate frettinginformation. It should, however, be appreciated that any type of codingmay be used to convey fingering information, as color and number codingare but two non-limiting examples. When a sliding pick icon 1602 passesover the time target area 1601, the user is to strum whilesimultaneously pressing the correct fret number. The embodiments inFIGS. 16A-B show two different methods for the coding of the pick iconsto convey fret information. FIG. 16A shows pick icons 1602 that areindividually color and/or number coded. FIG. 16B shows the use of groupsof like pick icons 1602 that are color and/or number coded together. Itshould be appreciated that other manners of coding the pick icons arealso possible, and that the display interfaces described herein are notlimited to use with any particular type of coding.

FIG. 17 shows one non-limiting example of various logical steps in theflow of a game that can be controlled using a stringed controlleraccording to any of the embodiments described herein. It should beappreciated that the steps may vary depending on the game, and that thevarious aspects described herein relating to playing of a game are notlimited to any particular type(s) of steps, number, or order of steps.

As mentioned, FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating an example of theorder of steps of game play flow of a game which may be played using astringed controller according to any of the embodiments describedherein. The game flow begins at the main menu, step 1701, which mayallow a user, at 1702, to choose a mode of play or to alter gameoptions. Upon choosing the game mode, the user is taken to a selectionscreen, step 1703, where he or she may choose, at 1704, a level (e.g.,impacting degree of difficulty), location, music selection, or any otherselection information. In this non-limiting example, once the chosenlevel/location/music is loaded a beat matching game play begins, step1705.

The game interface produces a series of rhythm events, step 1706, suchas the correct timing of a strum and/or fret press. Many of these eventsin a row constitute the beat matching play of an entire song. For eachevent, the game tests whether or not the user accurately strummed and/orfretted for that event, step 1707. If so, a score is awarded and theinstrument audio track remains audible. If not, the user is awarded noscore, or there may be a score penalty, and the guitar audio track maycontinue or become inaudible for the duration of that event. When allevents are finished (i.e., when the song is over), the final score isdisplayed, step 1708, and a story scene, or cinematic, may occur, in theform of one or more transitional visual sequences which advances thegame's story. The user is then returned to the location/level/musicselection screen, step 1709, where they are prompted to choose anotherlocation, level and music selection for the next section of the game.Again, it should be appreciated that the types, number and order ofsteps illustrated in FIG. 17 are merely a non-limiting example, and thatother possibilities for the flow of a game or program are also possible.

A stringed game controller, such as those discussed above, may be usefulfor other types of game play applications besides beat matching. Forexample, an application may employ specific defined melodic patterns(e.g., guitar licks) to control the game. For example, fretting andstrumming fret “1” followed by fretting and strumming fret “2” is amelodic pattern that may be defined as “1, 2.” A gaming application mayrequire specific melodic patterns that have a specific utilization andapplication according to the rules of the game. For example, the usermay be taught the melodic pattern “1, 2, 3,” and then be informed thatproviding this melodic pattern in front of a closed door in the gamewill open that door. From that point forward, whenever the userencounters a closed door, he or she may, and in some embodiments must,perform the melodic pattern “1, 2, 3” to open the door. It should beappreciated that this is only one example, and that other melodicpatterns may be used in other embodiments.

According to one embodiment, when a melodic pattern is performed, anysound, such as a specific musical note or a sound effect, may be playedfor each performed note of the pattern. The melodic pattern may or maynot need to be played with a specific rhythm and timing depending on thegame play context and application of this concept. Melodic patterns maycontain two or more inputs, for example: “1, 2”; “3, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 5,3, 2, 1, 2, 3”, etc. According to one embodiment, melodic patterns(e.g., licks) may be given specific identifiers or names in the gameplay context to identify them and distinguish them to the user. Forexample, the door opener pattern described above may be named “OpenSesame” in the context of the game.

The user interactions that can control a gaming application (e.g., byopening a door, causing a character to run or take another action, etc.)are not limited to playing melodic patterns, and can include any desiredmanipulation of the strings on the controller. For example, some gamingapplications may require specific manipulations of the stringedcontroller to cause specific actions in a game. A specific manipulationmay be any specific input or series of inputs that can be performed onthe stringed controller and be detected by the gaming application. Thatis, there may be specific inputs or series of inputs that have aspecific utilization and application according to the rules of the game.For example, the user may be taught that pressing any two fretssimultaneously in front of a closed door in the game will open thatdoor. From that point forward, whenever the user encounters a closeddoor, he or she may press any two frets simultaneously to open the door.Examples of specific manipulations include, but are not limited to:pressing two or more specific frets simultaneously, pressing any two ormore frets simultaneously, hammer-on either once or in rapid succession,pull-off either once or in rapid succession, strumming, strummingsoftly, strumming rigorously, strumming very slowly, strumming veryquickly, playing any particular note or chord, any combination of theabove, or any other suitable manipulations.

According to some embodiments, a gaming application may require fast,repeated strumming of the game controller's strings to fulfill a gameobjective. Thus the user may satisfy game play objectives by sustained,rapid strumming of the stringed controller. For example, the user'sprogress may be depicted by a bar or meter that fills as the userstrums, until the goal is reached. The bar or meter may decay (deplete)at a specific rate, so that to fill the meter the user must consistentlystrum more quickly than the decay rate until the goal is achieved.

According to another embodiment, a gaming application may also, oralternatively, require open unfretted strumming to produce a definedchord progression, as shown in FIG. 18A. Each time the user open strums,the predetermined chord progression progresses by one beat, during whicha chord progression may be aurally produced via software, as shown.Similarly, some gaming applications may require open picking in responseto a defined melody, as shown in FIG. 18B. Each time the user open-picksa string, the predetermined melody progresses by one beat, during whichthe melody is produced aurally via software. These are two non-limitingexamples, and it should be appreciated that other types of userinteraction are also possible.

As should be appreciated from the foregoing, in some applications, thestringed controller may be used to control games that do not have amusical instrument play along theme. For example, a stringed controllercan be used to control any type of game and be adapted to work with orreplace controllers conventionally used to control such games. If thegame requires the player to simulate proper musical instrument operation(e.g., play chords) to control game operation, the user experience inplaying the game may simultaneously provide valuable practice time inthe playing of the instrument.

In some specific gaming applications, the stringed controller may beused to simulate musical improvisation. For example, specific notesand/or chords may be related to each finger position or fret, so thatwhen the strings are fingered and/or struck by the user, the specificnote and/or chord is produced aurally by the software. The user can thenbe placed into a free mode of game play in which he or she is free tofinger and strike/strum as desired with little or no game play rules orstructure. The result is a simulation of musical improvisation, with orwithout background accompaniment music for the improvisation.

In some embodiments, a stringed game controller, such as apparatus 100when used as a game controller, may be used to control a gaming avatarin two-dimensional or three-dimensional space. For example fingering thestrings (e.g., pressing a specific fret) of the game controller inparticular ways may cause the avatar to walk forward, walk backwards,left, or right. Other fingerings or strikes may cause the avatar toperform other actions, such as jumping, running, or any other actionthat makes sense in the context of the game play. Similarly, thecontroller also may be used to control a game camera view. For example,a specific fingering may cause the game camera to pan, zoom, rotate,pitch, yaw, swivel, or otherwise alter its state. Other functions withinthe gaming application may also, or alternatively, be controlled by thegame controller, as those listed are merely non-limiting examples.

In some embodiments, the gaming or software application is configured todetect true chord fingerings (e.g., on the frets or otherwise) of thestringed controller. For example, a software application may ask theuser to fret a D major chord and show the correct fingering. Then whenfrets number “2” and “3” are activated simultaneously, positive feedbackmay be given to the user in any suitable manner, e.g., audibly and/orvisually, such as via the large check mark in FIG. 19. Thus, it shouldbe appreciated that various aspects of the technology described hereinmay be used as an educational, or teaching aid.

As has been explained, various embodiments described herein may includeproducing timing and/or finger positioning signals using a stringed gamecontroller. In some embodiments, information about the pitch of a stringplayed is not produced, or is not sent to or detected by the gamingapplication. Alternatively, according to one embodiment, a real-timepitch detection algorithm may be included in the application software,and may be used to determine a pitch produced by the stringedcontroller. Any suitable pitch detection algorithm may be used, as theembodiments described herein that employ pitch detection are not limitedin this respect. The pitch produced by the stringed controller may thenbe compared to a target pitch in the context of a game or otherapplication. For example, pitch detection may be used in the context ofbeat matching game play or other type of game play, or in any othersuitable application.

Embodiments of the present invention may also include a computersoftware application having an instrument (e.g., a guitar) training modethat trains the user to play a song or portion of a song on aninstrument, using audio and visual feedback including an interactivedisplay interface which may be similar to those discussed above. Forexample, in training mode, operation may optionally start by onlyrequiring strumming without a “play-by-numbers fret indicator” appearingon the interactive display interface, and the player would only berequired to strum the correct rhythm with open (non-fretted) strings. Achord progression may be pre-programmed into the computer softwareapplication so that the chord sounds would indeed be changing, but withno extra input needed by the user. The same method may also be used forsingle-note melodies such as solos and leads. Alternatively, a trainingmode of operation could start by only requiring fret fingering with thestrum indicators appearing as lines with no directional up or downarrow.

As described above, some embodiments of the present invention aredirected to a stringed game controller having a controller output modulefor detecting, processing, and outputting signals from the gamecontroller either directly or indirectly (e.g., via any other suitabledevice) to a computer or gaming console executing a software applicationto be controlled by the controller. It should be appreciated that insome embodiments of the present invention, the controller output moduleneed not be integrated into the same apparatus as the strings andsupporting body of the stringed game controller. For example, asillustrated in FIG. 23, according to one embodiment a stringed gamecontroller 100 a may be provided that includes a controller outputhoused separately from the strings and their supporting body and coupledin any way (e.g., wired and/or wireless connection). For example, thecontroller output module may be housed in a box 2302 separate from theguitar body and strings, and may include any of the functionalitydiscussed above in connection with the controller output module (e.g.,as discussed in connection with the controller output module 710 in FIG.7). For embodiments where additional controls are provided in additionto the strings (e.g., a joystick 185, sync button 186, etc.), they maybe provided on the separate box 2302 as shown in FIG. 23. In someembodiments, the box 2302 may be detachably mounted to the guitar body128, or may be a distinct box. Outputs from the strings 120 can beprovided to the controller output module in the box 2302 in any suitableway, including using any of the techniques discussed above. For example,according to some embodiments output signals from pickup 140 may beprovided to the box 2302 by a suitable connection 2304 (wired orwireless), such as an output cable, or any other suitable connection.According to some embodiments, one or more of the frets 130 may beelectrically connected to the box 2302 by a suitable connection 2306,which may be configured to send a signal to the box 2302 when a string120 contacts a fret 130. It should be appreciated that these arenon-limiting examples of ways in which the box 2302 may be coupled tothe guitar-shaped structure of FIG. 23 to receive output signals fromwhich one or more gaming input signals may be derived, and that othercoupling configurations and types are possible.

In addition, in accordance with one embodiment, the box 2302 can beformed as part of a kit or adapter that can adapt or retrofit anymusical instrument (e.g., any guitar) into a stringed game controller sothat the owner of an instrument may obtain an adapter and use his/herinstrument as a game controller. For example, in some embodiments anacoustic-electric instrument (e.g., an acoustic-electric guitar) may beused as a game controller by employing an adapter kit including the box2302. The pickup of the acoustic-electric instrument may be coupled tothe box 2302 in the manner shown by connection 2304 of FIG. 23, and oneor more of the frets of the instrument may be coupled to the box 2302 todetect when one or more of the strings 120 contact the fret(s), using asuitable connection (e.g., connection 2306, or any other suitableconnection). For adapting a fretted instrument that does not haveconductive strings, an alternate technique for detecting finger positionmay be employed (examples of which are discussed above).

Moreover, for instruments that do not have a pickup built in, such assome acoustic instruments (e.g., an acoustic guitar), a suitable pickupmay be added to the instrument (e.g., an off-the-shelf pickup as part ofa converter kit including the box 2302, or otherwise), and then theoutput of the pickup connected to box 2302, by a connection such as2304. Other configurations are also possible. Thus, it should beappreciated that various features of the technology described areapplication to electric instruments, acoustic-electric instruments,acoustic instruments, and non-instruments (e.g., dedicated gamecontrollers), and are not limited in this respect.

Similarly, while some detectors (e.g., conductive fret sensors for thefrets 130 in FIG. 1) have been described as being integrated into thestringed controller, it should be appreciated that other configurationsare possible. For example, according to some embodiments, fret sensorsmay be detachable from the frets 130, and may be connected to box 2302as part of an adapter kit for adapting a stringed instrument to work asa game controller. Other configurations for fret sensors are alsopossible. In addition, as discussed above, other techniques can also beemployed for detecting finger positions on the neck of a fretted ornon-fretted instrument, and any of those techniques may be maderemovable to allow an instrument to be adapted to function as a gamecontroller.

The above-described embodiments of the present invention can beimplemented in any of numerous ways. For example, the embodiments may beimplemented using hardware, software or a combination thereof. Whenimplemented in software, the software code can be executed on anysuitable processor or collection of processors, whether provided in asingle computer or distributed among multiple computers. It should beappreciated that any component or collection of components that performthe functions described above can be generically considered as one ormore controllers that control the above-discussed functions. The one ormore controllers can be implemented in numerous ways, such as withdedicated hardware, or with general purpose hardware (e.g., one or moreprocessors) that is programmed using microcode or software to performthe functions recited above.

In this respect, it should be appreciated that one implementation of theembodiments of the present invention comprises at least onecomputer-readable storage medium (e.g., a computer memory, a floppydisk, a compact disk, a tape, etc.) encoded with a computer program(i.e., a plurality of instructions), which, when executed on aprocessor, performs the above-discussed functions of the embodiments ofthe present invention. The computer-readable storage medium can betransportable such that the program stored thereon can be loaded ontoany computer resource to implement the aspects of the present inventiondiscussed herein. In addition, it should be appreciated that thereference to a computer program which, when executed, performs theabove-discussed functions, is not limited to an application programrunning on a host computer. Rather, the term computer program is usedherein in a generic sense to reference any type of computer code (e.g.,software or microcode) that can be employed to program a processor toimplement the above-discussed aspects of the present invention.

In addition, various functions and operations may be described as beingperformed by or caused by software code to simplify description.However, those skilled in the art will recognize what is meant by suchexpressions is that the functions result from execution of the code by aprocessor, such as a microprocessor. Alternatively, or in combination,the functions and operations can be implemented using special purposecircuitry, with or without software instructions, such as usingApplication-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) or Field-ProgrammableGate Array (FPGA). Embodiments can be implemented using hardwiredcircuitry without software instructions, or in combination with softwareinstructions. Thus, the techniques are limited neither to any specificcombination of hardware circuitry and software, nor to any particularsource for the instructions executed by the data processing system.

While some embodiments can be implemented in fully functioning computersand computer systems, various embodiments are capable of beingdistributed as a computing product in a variety of forms and are capableof being applied regardless of the particular type of machine orcomputer-readable media used to actually effect the distribution.

At least some aspects disclosed can be embodied, at least in part, insoftware. That is, the techniques may be carried out in a computersystem or other data processing system in response to its processor,such as a microprocessor, executing sequences of instructions containedin a memory, such as ROM, volatile RAM, non-volatile memory, cache or aremote storage device.

Routines executed to implement the embodiments may be implemented aspart of an operating system or a specific application, component,program, object, module or sequence of instructions referred to as“computer programs.” The computer programs typically comprise one ormore instructions set at various times in various memory and storagedevices in a computer, and that, when read and executed by one or moreprocessors in a computer, cause the computer to perform operationsnecessary to execute elements involving the various aspects.

A machine readable medium can be used to store software and data whichwhen executed by a data processing system causes the system to performvarious methods. The executable software and data may be stored invarious places including for example ROM, volatile RAM, non-volatilememory and/or cache. Portions of this software and/or data may be storedin any one of these storage devices. Further, the data and instructionscan be obtained from centralized servers or peer to peer networks.Different portions of the data and instructions can be obtained fromdifferent centralized servers and/or peer to peer networks at differenttimes and in different communication sessions or in a same communicationsession. The data and instructions can be obtained in entirety prior tothe execution of the applications. Alternatively, portions of the dataand instructions can be obtained dynamically, just in time, when neededfor execution. Thus, it is not required that the data and instructionsbe on a machine readable medium in entirety at a particular instance oftime.

Examples of computer-readable media include but are not limited torecordable and non-recordable type media such as volatile andnon-volatile memory devices, read only memory (ROM), random accessmemory (RAM), flash memory devices, floppy and other removable disks,magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media (e.g., Compact DiskRead-Only Memory (CD ROMS), Digital Versatile Disks (DVDs), etc.), amongothers. The instructions may be embodied in digital and analogcommunication links for electrical, optical, acoustical or other formsof propagated signals, such as carrier waves, infrared signals, digitalsignals, etc.

In general, a machine readable medium includes any mechanism thatprovides (i.e., stores and/or transmits) information in a formaccessible by a machine (e.g., a computer, network device, personaldigital assistant, manufacturing tool, any device with a set of one ormore processors, etc.).

In various embodiments, hardwired circuitry may be used in combinationwith software instructions to implement the techniques. Thus, thetechniques are neither limited to any specific combination of hardwarecircuitry and software nor to any particular source for the instructionsexecuted by the data processing system.

Although some of the drawings illustrate a number of operations in aparticular order, operations which are not order dependent may bereordered and other operations may be combined or broken out. While somereordering or other groupings are specifically mentioned, others will beapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art and so do not present anexhaustive list of alternatives. Moreover, it should be recognized thatthe stages could be implemented in hardware, firmware, software or anycombination thereof.

The phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of“including,” “comprising,” “having,” “containing”, “involving”, andvariations thereof, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafterand additional items.

Having described several embodiments of the invention in detail, variousmodifications and improvements will readily occur to those skilled inthe art. Such modifications and improvements are intended to be withinthe spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoingdescription is by way of example only, and is not intended as limiting.The invention is limited only as defined by the following claims and theequivalents thereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A game controller comprising: a musicalinstrument having a fingerboard and a plurality of strings extendingalong the fingerboard; a plurality of frets disposed on the fingerboardand underlying the plurality of strings, at least one of the fretshaving a plurality of electrically conductive zones that areelectrically insulated from each other and each zone corresponds to adifferent string in the plurality of strings; at least one first sensoradapted to detect fingering of the fingerboard by a user of the gamecontroller, at least in part, by detecting contacts between the stringsand the frets; at least one second sensor comprising a polyphonic pickuphaving a plurality of wire-wound coils coupled to corresponding magneticreturns, each coil and corresponding magnetic return being associatedwith a particular string in the plurality of strings, the second sensoradapted to detect striking of at least one of the plurality of stringsby the user of the game controller; at least one control module that iscoupled to the at least one first sensor and the at least one secondsensor and that provides at least one electrical signal indicating thefingering of the fingerboard by the user and indicating the striking ofat least one of the plurality of strings by the user; and wherein thegame controller is a dual mode device that is capable of operating in afirst mode as the game controller and in a second mode as a stringedmusical instrument, and wherein the game controller is tunable to enablethe plurality of strings to play the full range of notes available on aguitar; and at least one user control that is capable of operatingvolume and tone when the game controller is in the second mode, andcapable of operating menu-navigation and other game features when thegame controller is in the first mode.
 2. The game controller of claim 1,wherein the plurality of strings and at least some of the plurality offrets are electrically conductive, and wherein the at least one firstsensor is adapted to detect which of the electrically conductive stringshas contacted the electrically conductive fret.
 3. The game controllerof claim 1, further comprising a monophonic pickup coupled to thepolyphonic pickup, and wherein the monophonic pickup and polyphonicpickup are disposed in a housing configured as a single component on thegame controller.
 4. The game controller of claim 3, wherein themonophonic pickup is a stacked humbucker pickup adapted to detectmovement of the plurality of strings.
 5. The game controller of claim 1,wherein the polyphonic pickup is a hexaphonic pickup adapted to detectmovement of each of the strings in the plurality of strings.
 6. The gamecontroller of claim 1, wherein the magnetic return is made ofmagnetizable material including any one of iron, steel, other ferrousmaterial, or any combination thereof.
 7. The game controller of claim 6,wherein each of the coils includes a corresponding neodymium magnet andmagnetic core.
 8. The game controller of claim 1, further comprising astring dampener having a plurality of separate engagement surfacesadapted to dampen vibration of at least one of the plurality of stringsafter it is struck by the user to facilitate detection of distinctstring strikes.
 9. The game controller of claim 8, wherein each separateengagement surface corresponds to a particular string or subset ofstrings in the plurality of strings.
 10. The game controller of claim 8,wherein the dampener comprises any one of a mechanical dampener or anelectromechanical dampener.
 11. The game controller of claim 1, whereinthe at least one electrical signal provides control information forinteracting with a video game.